


Starcrossed (A Doctor Who Fanfiction) Book Two

by TheMastersDaughter666



Series: Starcrossed (A Doctor Who Fanfiction) [2]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Classic Doctor Who References, F/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 71,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMastersDaughter666/pseuds/TheMastersDaughter666
Summary: Beatrice and the Master have finally confessed their feelings for each other. However, their troubles are far from over. Soon they will realize the consequences of their actions, good and bad, and the difficulty that comes with making a relationship like this work. Whatever is to come they must face it together no matter where the path they have chosen will lead them.This is the second book in my Starcrossed series. If you haven't read book one go to my profile page and you can find it otherwise this book will not make sense. I do not own any of the TV show plots featured in this book or the canon characters. The characters and plots are the property of the BBC.Warning: Like the last book, there may be the occasional swear word although it will be kept to a minimum.
Relationships: The Master (Delgado) & Original Character
Series: Starcrossed (A Doctor Who Fanfiction) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655581
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. The Master's Request

"Woah!" said Beatrice as she braced herself against the consul of the Master's TARDIS. After confessing their feelings for each other he had given her the offer for her to travel with him again. Needless to say, she had accepted. 

They had been travelling for what she estimated was about a week and things had been relatively smooth. Beatrice was slightly astonished at the lack of trouble that they had faced. 

With the exception of that one coffee shop on Rigel 12 that had been blown up. Which MAY have partially been her fault. But they were being chased by Sontarans! How the heck else were they supposed to escape those stupid potato heads? Besides, she had hit the fire alarm so the bystanders got out.

Anyway, things had mostly been going alright up until now when the normally smoothly travelling TARDIS had decided to go a bit haywire and was now shaking like crazy, nearly throwing them around the consul room.

"What's wrong?" she asked the Master who was doing his best to fix the TARDIS's flight. 

"I'm not entirely sure. But I'm going to land her so I can examine her better. Hold on."

What do you think I'm doing? she thought to herself. Beatrice had noticed that both the Master and the Doctor referred to their TARDIS's as if they were people. When pressed the Master had explained that TARDIS's were in fact grown and sentient rather than being a normal machine.

They landed and the TARDIS stopped shaking.

"Well, that was quite the ride," said Beatrice letting go of the consul. 

"Indeed," answered the Master. "Are you alright?" he inquired as he began to examine the consul. Beatrice shrugged.

"Just a bit bumped up but I've had worse."

"My dear, do you think that you could pass me the toolbox?" he asked. Beatrice went over to one of the circles embedded in the wall and pressing a switch to open it. It turned out that the circles weren't just for aesthetic. They were a convenient place to store things like tools.

She handed him the box and sat on the stairs to watch him work. After a while, the Master got out from under the consul and took a seat next to her on the stairs.

"Figure it out?" she asked him.

"Yes, it seemed the replacement flight circuit that I added in as short-circuited," he told her holding up a cylindrical device. 

"Can you get another one somewhere?"

"Yes, I can. Although I will need your help."

"Of course, what do we need to do?" she asked.

"Well, as I said the circuit that just died was a replacement for one that was stolen from the TARDIS a while back."

"How the hell did someone get into the TARDIS?" Beatrice asked him. 

"I was imprisoned and they managed to get a hold of and copy my TARDIS key. Of, course I escaped and got the keys back but not before they had stolen the flight circuit. Fortunately, I had an older spare I replaced it with. But now that it died I will need a new one."

"You're suggesting that we steal it back aren't you?" said Beatrice after a moment.

"Exactly." said the Master. Beatrice paused to think about it.

"How much damage will this heist cause?" she asked.

"If we are efficient about it not much. Anyway, the planet where the circuit is now will be destroyed soon by a Super Nova." his tone was casual as he said this. Clearly noticing the shock on her face he quickly added.

"And before you protest there isn't anything either of us can do to save the people on the planet. The destruction of Avalon and it's people is a fixed point in time."

"Which I take it means that if we interfered and saved them the space-time continuum could be destroyed."

"Quite." the Master confirmed. They stood up.

"Well then, if we're going to be committing Grand Theft Flight Circuit, I'd better get into the appropriate outfit to fit in."

"The planet is rather medieval in aesthetic. Think King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table." suggested the Master. 

"Got it," said Beatrice giving him a kiss on the cheek before heading to the TARDIS closet.

She looked through it and found several different outfits from various time periods. Long Southern ballgowns, an 18th-century frock coat, and a black velvet coat with a high gold-trimmed collar and comically puffy shoulders that she hoped he wouldn't ever consider wearing. She much prefered his dapper James Bond-villain aesthetic.

Finally, she found a pretty dark purple dress with green undersleeves. She made sure to wear flat shoes. If there was going to be any running involved she was NOT twisting an ankle in heels.

After putting up her hair, making sure to use her handy lock picking hairpin, she headed back to the consul room.

Author's Note: There's chapter one. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I should hopefully be updating the story regularly. Let me know what you think in the comments. As usual, I love feedback. Brownie points to anyone who caught the reference with the comical black velvet coat which the Anthony Ainley Master wears in the future. Thanks for reading!


	2. Avalon

As she entered the consul room the Master turned around to face her. He seemed temporarily shocked. She gave a soft laugh at the stunned look on his face and did a little twirl.

"Well, what do you think?" 

"I think you look absolutely lovely my dear," he told her taking her hands. Beatrice blushed a little. She liked it when he called her my dear.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she told him.

"Really? As I recall, when we first met you weren't too easily swayed by flattery," he said his tone slightly teasingly. Beatrice smiled at the thought of their first meeting. 

"True, but in all fairness, you were holding me hostage." she paused. "I just realized how odd that sentence sounds given our current situation." The Master chuckled and instead of answering and cupped the back of her neck with one hand while the other rested on her waist, leaned down slightly, and kissed her. 

They pulled apart after a moment and he gave her a genuine smile. Something she only saw when they were alone. He turned and picked something up off the consul. It was a gold ring.

"This is a bio-dampener. I have one as well. It should hide the fact that we aren't of their species." She took the ring and put it on.

"Thank you, so, what is the exact plan?" she asked.

"Fairly simple," he showed her what she assumed was a map of the castle. "This race collects rare objects such as the flight circuit. As it was once part of this TARDIS I was able to track it to the vault in this castle on the bottom floor. The vault needs a key which I suspect the ruler of this planet has."

"So you want me to find a way to get it from him?" she guessed. 

"Precisely. Once you have the key we can sneak out, get to the vault, and get the circuit. Then I summon the TARDIS and we get out of here before midnight when the planet will be destroyed."

"Right, let's go then."

They stepped out and saw in front of them a gigantic medieval castle. It was absolutely beautiful. As they walked towards it. A thought came to Beatrice 

"Two questions. First, how come this is so well planned out? We only lost the flight circuit today. And second, why couldn't we come on a day where we don't have to get out before the planet is destroyed?"

"In answer to your first question, I have been planning this for a while as I suspected the old flight circuit would go out soon, so I did my research. I just haven't had the time or ability to put the plan into action. 

Second, the radiation that surrounds this planet acts as a force field preventing anyone who isn't from here from entering, however, the quickly developing supernova damaged the radiation field enough that the TARDIS could get through."

"So, if we don't get out of here in two hours we die?" she asked just for confirmation.

"Yes," answered the Master.

"Why do I go anywhere with you?" said Beatrice with a little sigh, although she wasn't really upset with him. 

"Because my dear, you are just as attracted to trouble as I am." replied the Master.

"True enough, just try not to kill anyone," she said as they entered the great hall of the castle where the party was being held.

"I'll do my best." 

Beatrice was about to make a sarcastic reply but gasped in surprise at the sight before her. Women in a rainbow of different coloured medieval dresses were dancing with various men, a variety of musicians in one corner were playing music, a dais with a golden throne stood at the very end of the hall. It was like something out of a fairytale.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured. 

"I thought you would like it," said the Master. Over by the banquet table, she saw a tall blond man in a crown. He looked to be about Beatricee's age.

"That must be the king," she guessed.

"Yes and it seems I was correct in my guess. He has the key around his neck. I recognize it from my research," pointed out the Master. Beatrice looked and sure enough, there was an ornate golden key around the king's neck.

"Alright, then. Time to get his attention. Do try and stay close, I don't want to lose you in this crowd." she requested.

"Certainly," the Master took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Good luck my dear." Beatrice nodded and began heading towards her target

As she reached him, she casually bumped into him as they passed each other. As she guessed this caught his attention. She quickly dropped into a curtsy.

"Oh, your highness I apologize."

"It's perfectly fine, no harm done. I don't think I've seen you before, surely I would have noticed someone so pretty," he said flirtatiously.

"I'm Lady Jane Masters," she said saying the first name that came into her mind. "I'm relatively new to the court."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Jane. May I offer you a drink?" he said taking a goblet off a nearby tray.

"Thank you," she replied taking the glass however, she didn't drink from it. She wasn't going to risk drinking alcohol around such an obvious womanizer.

"So your highness, are you enjoying the party?" she asked.

"It's certainly improved since you came," the king replied.

Good lord, talk about the king of cliched pick-up lines. she thought to herself but merely smiled in response.

"Will you be staying long?" he inquired.

"Possibly," Beatrice replied trying to stay vague. 

"Well, I certainly hope we can become better acquainted."

"Perhaps we could do so now. I'd certainly be honoured to get to know such a brave king as yourself." she placed a hand on his arm. Beatrice thought she might be laying the flattery on a bit thick but the king seemed to like it.

"That could certainly be arranged," he said taking a step closer. Beatrice knew she needed to get the king on his own.

"My it's warm in here," she said fanning herself with her hand.

"Would you like to go out on the balcony?" he offered.

"That would be lovely," she said casting a look behind her. She could just barely make out the Master in the crowd. The King led her out onto the empty and luckily rather secluded balcony. The King then began to regale her with his various exploits. 

After about ten minutes of smiling and nodding, she managed to get a word in. 

"Won't people notice your disappearance?" she asked.

"Unlikely, most of them are either busy or drunk. Besides it isn't unusual for me to leave the party early with a lovely lady."

"Isn't that lucky?" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And why is that?" he said placing his hands on her hips, clearly expecting her to kiss him.

"So I can do this," she said as she used the advantage of having her arms around his neck to press a pressure point in his neck that caused the king to immediately fall unconscious and collapse. 

"Well done," said a voice behind her. She turned to see the Master stepped out of the shadows.

"It's a good thing you taught me how to do that nerve thing. Now help me drag him out of the way." the Master moved to help her hide the king behind an extremely large flower pot the that was slightly shorter than Beatrice.

Once they grabbed the key from the king's neck the Master turned to her.

"It's a good thing you knocked him out when you did. He was getting a little too close." Beatrice smiled at him and said teasingly.

"Don't tell me you're jealous." the Master looked like he was about to deny it but she cut him off saying,

"Trust me, he is not my type." the Master chuckled.

"I should hope not. Now, I would suggest we get going, we have 1 hour and 20 minutes till this planet is doomed." He gagged the king with a scarf from his pocket as well as thing his hands and feet. 

"What a cheerful way of putting it," she replied in a playfully sarcastic tone before leaving the balcony with the Master.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I will update soon. Please like and comment. Especially comment. Until next time!


	3. The Vault and Escape

Despite knowing in general where the vault was it took the Master and Beatrice about thirty minutes to make their way down to the vault. The Master continued to check his watch. It wouldn't do to lose track of time and get blown up by that supernova.

That was NOT the way he planned on dying, if at all. And he definitely wasn't going to let Beatrice get killed if he could help it.

He cast a glance over at her. She really did look beautiful in that dress. He recalled the look of wonder on her face when they entered the ballroom. He was glad that they had finally confessed their feelings for each other. At least any of the awkward tension between them was gone.

At last, they reached a hallway, at the end of which was a huge vault. Two men stood guarding it. The most notable thing about them was that their swords crackled with electricity. One-touch from those things and you were dead.

They hid around a corner and Beatrice turned to look at him.

"Okay two guards, what do we do?" she asked. The Master pulled out his tissue compression eliminator. Stepping out from behind the corner he fired two shots. Immediately the two guards were shrunk to the size of dolls. Their weapons clattered to the floor.

Beatrice also stepped out from around the corner and hurried towards them. Kneeling down she examined their shrunken forms.

"So that's what you meant when you threatened to turn me into a doll back during the Keller fiasco," she said. The Master saw pity for the guards on her face.

"Yes, although in your case I admit I wouldn't have been able to follow through on that threat." He said. Even back then, before he had acknowledged or even realized his true feelings for the young woman he would never have been able to bring himself to end her life.

"Did you have to kill them," she said with a sigh as she stood up.

"My dear, those swords would kill you with one touch and I couldn't hypnotise them both at once. Besides these people will be dead in just under an hour. It's not like they had much longer to live anyway." he pointed out.

"I know but I'm still not overly comfortable with murder," she replied softly. The Master simply moved to the door and inserted the key. There was a series of complicated clicking noises and the large door swung open.

"Couldn't I have just picked that?" asked Beatrice in surprise.

"Not without setting off an alarm." said the Master with a shake of his head as they stepped inside.

Inside was a rather ornate room filled with glass cases containing various pieces of technology and rare artefacts.

"If they have technology like this and those electric swords not to mention the capability to get off of the planet why are they still in medieval times and why haven't they detected the supernova?" asked Beatrice curiously as they began searching for the flight circuit.

"Their aesthetic is very medieval yet, as you pointed out they have some rather advanced technology. However, their levels of success with it vary as some of the things here they don't understand. Much like how you humans rarely understand the alien machinery you come across.

"I would be insulted but you admittedly have a point. We humans can really screw up when we try and jump too far ahead in technology. I swear we cause so much chaos on our own we don't need you to invade and add to it."

"You can be a slightly self-destructive species, yet somehow, you continuously manage to survive." commented the Master still very aware of the quickly passing time.

"True enough. Is this it?" Beatrice asked pointing to something in a nearby case that indeed turned out to be the flight circuit. The Master took out a sonic device and pressing a series of buttons, let out a high frequency that caused the glass case containing the flight circuit to shatter. He took the circuit and placed it in his pocket.

"Yes, thank you. Now I suggest that we leave," the Master tried to use his TARDIS recall button to bring the TARDIS into the room but it wouldn't materialize.

"What's wrong?" asked Beatrice in a concerned tone.

"It seems the recall button is dying. It doesn't have enough energy to summon the TARDIS from this distance." explained the Master.

"What do we do then?"

"I believe if we can get outside the castle walls then the signal would be able to reach it."

"We're extremely far away from the door. Maybe the north ramparts? That's five floors up, but I think it's the fastest way outside." suggested Beatrice.

"An excellent idea my dear." Quickly the made their way out of the vault and hurried up the stairs. The Master thanked Gallifrey that he had an eidetic memory and could recall the layout of the castle. 

Unfortunately, a large number of stairs was slowing their progress considerably. It seemed to take forever to get up them. Not to mention Beatrice's long dress wasn't exactly idle running material.

They managed to get up one level before they ran into trouble. Just as they reached the level the banquet hall was on there was a shout behind them.

"It appeared the king had been found and freed. He certainly didn't look happy.

"That's them!" he yelled.

"Run!" the Master told Beatrice and they broke into a sprint. The Master could hear the guards being gathered behind them but didn't take the time to look back.

As they raced up the next set of steps Beatrice tripped. Fortunately, he managed to catch and steady her.

"Thanks, she gasped they continued running. They made it to the ramparts and the Master glanced at his watch. They had 11 minutes until the supernova. He quickly began fiddling with the recall button trying to boost the signal. 

By now several of the guards and the king had made it up to the ramparts. Beatrice moved closer to the edge and held out the key over the edge. Clever girl, he thought

"One more step and I drop the key into the moat." he heard her tell them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the men freeze.

"Lady Jane. What a surprise. By all means, drop it. We'll simply fish it out."

"Not if one of those creatures swimming in the moat gets it first," replied Beatrice.

"You know I'm afraid you charm is waning." said the king angrily. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Beatrice told him rather cheekily. Just then the Master finally got the remote working and the TARDIS materialized. He unlocked the door and Beatrice threw the key at the king as the two of them hurried inside. He quickly set the coordinates to escape and moments later, they were gone.

Author's Note: Here's chapter three! Please like and comment. I'd like to know how readers think I am doing. I am also always open to suggestions. I also don't own Avalon which is actually an obscure planet mentioned back in Classic Who. Thanks for reading!


	4. Relaxing

Once the TARDIS had dematerialized and was a safe distance from Avalon the Master and Beatrice were able to relax slightly. The TARDIS recall button was completely useless now as all of its energy had been expended. It was completely fried.

"What will happen to Avalon after it is destroyed?" asked Beatrice looking concerned. The Master turned to look at her. Beatrice's hair had fallen out of the elegant style she had put it in and the hem of her skirt was ripped. 

"As I recall the planet will eventually reform. The species that will come to inhabit will make quite a few scientific contributions to time travel in later years." 

"Well, I suppose it isn't all doom and gloom," she said with a small smile.

"No, I suppose it's not," the Master didn't particularly care about Avalon or it's people but he still found Beatrice's ability to feel compassion for complete strangers and her optimism to be rather endearing. 

"I'd better get out of this ridiculous dress before I trip over it again," she said good-naturedly. 

"Yes, that might be a good idea," agreed the Master. "I'll start installing the circuit." Beatrice left the consul room and the Master immediately began connecting the new circuit to the consul. It was fairly simple and didn't take long. Once he had installed it and the TARDIS had resumed it's smooth flight pattern he made his way to the TARDIS living room.

It was a rather small room compared to the size of many of the other areas in his TARDIS. However, it was by far one of the most comfortable. It had two dark purple velvet armchairs and a matching couch with soft gold pillows.

He had a small gas fireplace which he turned on as well as a couple of lamps, before picking up the book he had been reading earlier and settling down to read.

He hadn't been reading for long before he heard familiar footsteps. He looked up to see Beatrice enter. Her red hair was now hanging down loosely and she wore a simple knee-length black dress and flats. He was pleased to see she was also wearing the sapphire blue shawl he had given her.

"May I join you?" she asked.

"Of course my dear," he said giving her a soft smile which she returned as she moved to sit next to him. 

"That was quite a clever trick you pulled with the key," he told her.

"Thank you, although if we could not cut it so close next time it would be appreciated." 

"I'll do my best to be quicker next time we're being chased by medieval aliens with electric swords," he replied dryly. She curled up next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I have to go back tomorrow. UNIT only gave me a few weeks off for recovery. And I suppose you have some drastic take-over-the-world scheme to work on." Her tone was slightly teasing.

"I do have a few idea's," he said as he wrapped an arm around her. She gave a small laugh.

"Whatever shall we do?" she asked the humour evident in her voice.

"I'm sure the Doctor will come up with some hair-brained idea," he replied.

"I'm sure that he will, you don't really want him dead do you?" she asked quietly.

The Master paused. Once again Beatrice was displaying her unusually high level of perception. Though he had tried to kill the Doctor on many occasions, there was a part of him that always expected the Doctor to find a way out. After all, they had been friends once. 

"The universe would be an infinitely less interesting place without him," he finally admitted. 

"Indeed it would. It's like you're two sides of the same coin. So similar yet so different," Beatrice said. 

"I suppose that is one way of putting it," conceded the Master. He didn't trust people easily. But when it came to Beatrice, he could not help but feel as if he could trust her. She seemed to understand him in a way few others did.

"What is it that you are reading?" asked Beatrice looking at the cover of the book in the Master's hand. 

"A Gallifreyan book of poetry," he answered.

"Could you read some to me?" she asked.

"You won't be able to understand it. The TARDIS doesn't translate Gallifreyan," the Master pointed out raising an eyebrow.

"I know," she said shrugging as she looked up at him with those beautiful hazel eyes. "But it's still interesting to hear you speak your native language." The Master gave her a fond look and began to read, gently stroking her hair as he did so. He heard her give a small sigh of contentment.

After he had been reading for a while he looked down at her to see that her eyes were closed. She had a small smile on her face as she slept. Though he wasn't normally one for physical contact, he found he didn't mind with her.

Beatrice really did astonish him. She cared for him despite knowing the potential dangers of their situation and that their relationship was doomed in the end. He recalled her words from the day they confessed how they felt for each other.

"Sometimes it's better to have something for a while than not at all."

He found he was rather inclined to agree with her. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The next day the pair of them stood in her living room where the TARDIS had materialized. She was preparing to leave. Taking a step forward she took his hands.

"I assume that I'll see you soon," she said.

"I'm sure you will, especially given your talent for getting into trouble," he replied giving her a small smile that he reserved for her. Instead of immediately answering Beatrice leaned up and kissed him gently. After a moment she pulled away.

"Until next time. I would say stay out of trouble but I feel that would be slightly hypocritical and rather pointless."

"Probably," he agreed. With a final wave, she left for work. The Master watched her go before heading back inside his TARDIS.

He enjoyed spending time with Beatrice, but he did have a plan to put into action.

Author's Note: Well, here is another chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying the book so far. I would love to know what you think so please like and COMMENT. Sadly Christmas break is over and I must get back to school so updates may not be coming as quickly as they have recently but I do promise to update semi-regularly so keep checking in for new chapters. Next up I plan on covering the episode The Daemons. Thanks for reading!


	5. The Daemons Part 1

Beatrice returned to work to find things in a similar state to how she had left them. There hadn't been any alien invasions while she was away and the Doctor still seemed unable to get his TARDIS to work properly.

She had been slightly nervous about going back because now she would have to hide her relationship with the Master from her superiors. If they found out she would be fired before you could say Gallifrey.

Fortunately, the topic of the Master hadn't come up and after a few weeks, she had settled back into a routine.

All of this was going through Beatrice's mind as she walked to the UNIT garage where she knew the Doctor was working on Bessie.

As she entered the garage she heard the Doctor say,

"You know Jo, I'm obviously wasting my time trying to turn you into a scientist."

"But how do you know there is nothing in it?" Questioned Jo.

"Nothing in what?" asked Beatrice.

"The Doctor doesn't believe in magic," said Jo.

"Well, the Doctor is a scientist Jo. Most scientists don't believe in the occult. Quite frankly neither do I."

"Well, at least someone here as some common sense," said the Doctor. "It's quite simple Jo. Everything has a scientific explanation if you know where to look for it."

"But suppose something happened and nobody in the universe knew what caused it? That would be magic wouldn't it?" 

"You know for a reasonably intelligent young lady, you certainly have the most absurd ideas," the Doctor told Jo.

Suddenly Bessie began to drive off of her own accord.

"Doctor look!" cried Jo. Beatrice too was startled though she doubted the Doctor's car was actually sentient. Then again with the Doctor, you could never really tell what to expect. 

"Bessie! How dare you go gallivanting around like that!" scolded the Doctor as the car came back into the garage. Bessie honked in response. Beatrice raised her eyebrows.

"Are you sorry?" the Doctor asked the car. There was another honk. The Doctor nodded.

"Very well, I forgive you. Now go back to your parking place before I change my mind," at his words the car reversed back out of the garage. As it did so Captain Yates entered the garage. Looking at the still-moving car he said,

"I know there is a reasonable explanation for this but at the moment I can't think of one."

"Would you believe it was magic? Jo would," said the Doctor.

"Now that's not fair Doctor!" exclaimed Jo.

"Well, how would you explain it?" asked the Doctor.

"I suppose you did it," replied Jo. Beatrice tilted her head.

"Remote control?" she asked.

"Naturally, or should I say scientifically. Solenoids and a solar mechanism in Bessie," he took out a hand-sized remote. "See how easy it is to be a magician?" 

"But that doesn't prove anything," insisted Jo.

"I don't know. Seems like pretty good proof to me," said Beatrice.

"Would you like to see more?" asked the Doctor.

"No thank you, I've had enough of your knavish tricks. Anyway, I want to see that TV program. Mike, will you give me a lift?" asked Jo. Mike nodded.

"Oh not you too Captain Yates," the Doctor said with a sigh

"What television program?" asked Beatrice.

"They're broadcasting the opening of a barrow in Devils End. Forecasts of doom and gloom," said Mike.

"How cheerful," said Beatrice dryly.

"What did you call the place Mike?" asked the Doctor his brow furrowed.

"Devils End. It's the village near the dig," explained Mike. As they walked out into the UNIT yard. 

"Are you alright Doctor?" asked Beatrice in a concerned tone.

"Yes, yes, perfectly fine."

"Where are you headed Doctor?" asked Mike.

"To see the program of course," said the Doctor. Beatrice laughed as they made their way towards Bessie.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They all gathered in a small room in UNIT HQ to watch the program.

"Devil's End. The very name sends shivers up the spine." said the reporter. 

"Really hamming it up isn't he?" said Beatrice. 

"He's a reporter. What do you expect?" asked Benton. Beatrice giggled slightly.

"Tonight at midnight, the witching hour, viewers will have the opportunity to be present when noted archaeologist Dr Gilbert Horner..."

"Finally got round to me have you?" a grumpy looking man in a fedora interrupted.

Beatrice watched the two men bicker slightly as they entered the barrow. 

"And what is inside the Devil's hump?" asked the reporter.

"What do you expect. Treasure," said Horner.

"Of course, because every archaeological site has buried treasure," said Beatrice with a roll of her eyes.

"He seems very sure," said Jo.

"He seems rather arrogant," said Beatrice.

"So this is all a publicity gimmick for your new book?" asked the reporter.

"That's right," answered Horner.

"See!" said Beatrice, "My point exactly." she was hushed by Jo. Suddenly an older woman with a strange symbol around her neck came on the television. She was ranting about how opening the barrow would disturb spirits.

"And how do you know this Miss Hawthorne?" the reporter questioned.

"Because I'm a witch," said the woman in an entirely serious tone.

"Yeah, that'll convince them," said Beatrice sarcastically.

While the woman seemed a bit off her rocker, Beatrice couldn't deny that the barrow was giving off major leave it alone vibes.

"Come on Jo, Beatrice," said the Doctor suddenly.

"Where?" asked Jo.

"To Devils End, of course, we have to stop that lunatic opening up the barrow." said the Doctor as Beatrice and Jo followed him out of the room.

Author's Note: Well, there's the first chapter of Daemons! I hope you are enjoying it. Please like and comment. I love to hear my reader's thoughts. We should be seeing the Master in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	6. The Daemons Part 2

They drove for what seemed like ages. The wind seemed unusually strong. Finally, Bessie pulled into the little village of Devil's End. By then it was quite dark. 

"We need to ask for directions," said Beatrice to the Doctor

"That might be a good idea," agree Jo and the three of them headed into a pub called The Cloven Hoof Bar.

It was very packed and noisy inside. They fought their way up to the counter to ask for directions.

"Excuse me could you tell us how to get to the Devil's Hump?" asked the Doctor.

"Why? They're showing it on telly you know," said the bartender. "Are you one of those television chaps?"

"I assure you, I am not any sort of chap." said the Doctor impatiently.

"Sorry, I just thought with the clothes and the wig..." began the barman.

"Wig!" the Doctor said indignantly.

"Why do you want to go up there anyway?" asked a stranger near the bar.

"To stop that lunatic professor from bringing devastation to you all." said the Doctor urgently.

"One of Hawthorne's Brigade!" said a dark-haired man derisively. Beatrice wasn't sure what it was but something seemed off about the fellow. She began wondering whether there was more to this trouble than just the barrow.

"Please could you give us directions," asked Jo politely as it seemed a fight might break out between the Doctor and the unhelpful barman.

"Straight past the green outside, fork left and then straight up the rise, you can't miss it," said the barman.

"Doctor, why don't you go up to the barrow with Jo and I'll investigate around here," suggested Beatrice. Her instincts were usually right and currently, her instincts were telling her to go after the dark-haired man.

"Alright but be careful, it's getting dark," said the Doctor as Jo thanked the barman.

"I'm always careful!" protested Beatrice. The Doctor gave her a disbelieving look.

"Fine, I promise I'll be careful," she said. This seemed to be enough for the Doctor, who then left with Jo. Beatrice turned to the barman.

"Who was that man that left earlier? The one who said we were part of Miss Hawthorne's group."

"That would be Garvin the village Sexton. He's probably headed back to the church down the road. 

"Thank you," said Beatrice as she left. She was quite happy she had thought to bring a torch. She switched it on and made her way in the direction of the village church whose steeples she could see in the distance.

After walking for about 20 minutes, she reached the church which was fortunately open. As she entered she saw a door at the other end of the foyer close. She waited a moment before moving towards it. 

She tested it and found it to be locked. Taking out her ever-useful hairpin she picked the lock and entered. Inside she heard a great deal of chanting. One voice sounded suspiciously familiar.

She peeked out and saw a group of men in black robes chanting. In the centre wearing a ridiculous set of red robes was the Master. He seemed to be doing some sort of ritual. It was almost comical.

The ground began to shake and Beatrice booked it out of there doing her best not to be seen. Once she was far away from the church, she slowed down.

She assumed that the Doctor was still up at the barrow. The best thing would probably be to return to the pub.

When she entered it wasn't quite as crowded as before. Checking the time on her watch she realized it was past midnight. She had no idea when the Doctor would return. She ordered some water and sat at the bar waiting for the Doctor.

At about 2 in the morning, a crying Jo entered accompanied by several men carrying the Doctor. 

"What happened!" cried Beatrice jumping up as she followed Jo and the men into a bedroom where the Doctor was placed.

"There was an accident at the dig and the Doctor was injured," she said. Beatrice placed a comforting arm around her.

"Get some blankets and hot water bottles, the man is practically frozen!" said one of the men who had brought in the Doctor.

"He'll be fine Jo. The Doctor is tough," said Beatrice. Jo nodded.

"I've contacted Yates and Benton. They said they would come."

"Good, it looks like we will need back up."

"She thought about mentioning the Master. But decided against it. Jo was already freaking out and mentioning the Master would only worry her more. Besides, the only person who could help them against the Master was the Doctor.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice and Jo sat with the Doctor all night. Eventually, they fell asleep. They were awakened by the crackling of Jo's walkie talky which she had smartly thought to bring. 

"We're landing in a nearby field. You should see the size of these hoofprints. They're massive even from the air." came Benton's voice.

"We'll meet you," said Jo racing out to meet them. Beatrice was slightly slower. She thought now would probably be a good time to confront the Master and find out what the HELL was going on.

Grabbing a pen and paper from the bedside table she quickly wrote down the information about the Master, the ritual, and that she planned to do more investigating. She then placed the folded letter on the Doctor's chest and made her way to the parsonage next to the church where she guessed the Master would be.

Upon reaching the parsonage she was confronted by Garvin. 

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked accusingly.

"My name is Beatrice and I would like to speak to the Vicar," she said.

"Mr Majester isn't in right now," answered Garvin.

"Then perhaps you can go get him. Give him my name and I promise you he will want to see me," she said. Garvin looked at her suspiciously. 

"Fine. You can wait in his office," he said grudgingly as he let her into the parsonage and left.

Beatrice looked around the room. There were several bookshelves and the wallpaper was red. An elegant mahogany desk and chair were in one part of the room. A grandfather clock which she assumed was the TARDIS stood in one corner.

She heard the door to the office open and turned to face the Master. What she saw made her burst out in laughter.

Author's note: I know I said the Master would show up in this chapter but I underestimated the amount of information I had to put in beforehand. I PROMISE there will be lots of Beatrice/Master interaction in the next chapter. I'd also like to give a shout out to Roger Delgado for getting through that entire cult ritual without breaking character. Only he could make those robes look intimidating. As usual please like and COMMENT. Thanks for reading!


	7. The Daemons Part 3

The Master was wearing a suit with a Vicar's collar and thick-rimmed glasses. The idea of the Master as a vicar was so ridiculous Beatrice could not help herself. 

"Beatrice, what a surprise," said the Master looking slightly amused. 

"Gods, are you trying to go for the most ridiculous costume of the year? You look absolutely absurd." She said as she finally got herself under control. 

"It is called a disguise for a reason my dear." Beatrice shook her head in exasperation. "Now what are you doing here?" asked the Master. Beatrice's face turned serious. She crossed her arms. 

"I'm here because I saw a certain someone performing a satanic ritual." 

"Ah, I see," said the Master.

"And judging from the giant hoof prints that were found you went and summoned the Dunwich Horror. What. The. Actual. Bloody. Hell!" 

"I assure you it is all part of a plan."

"Part of a plan my ass. You do not go around summoning demons! Are crazy? This is going to backfire on you, people will get hurt, and you'll end up in a cell somewhere!" She stopped to draw breath. The Master stepped forward and took her hands. 

"Finished ranting now?" he asked. She sighed she was getting the same warm feeling in her chest she always felt when he was near. 

"Yes, I am," she said. She stood up on her toes and gently removed the glasses. "There. Now you look slightly less ridiculous." He gave her a small smile before leaning down to kiss her. She returned it. Beatrice leaned against him. He brought his arms around her and held her close. "I'm just worried. Raising Demons isn't exactly safe. Not to mention I don't want anyone to get hurt. Particularly you." 

"Your concern is touching my dear. But relatively unwarranted." He said looking her in the eyes. "This is hardly the most dangerous scenario I've been in. Not to mention that everything is going according to plan."

"Yes, but for how long? UNIT and the Doctor will catch up to you like they always do," she reminded him. 

"Your faith in me is astounding." Said the Master dryly.

"Oh, hush you. I'm simply saying that you don't exactly have the best track record."

"Maybe not. But it is enjoyable to match wits with the Doctor. I do think he will find this latest plan rather interesting if nothing else." Beatrice rolled her eyes and gave him a small smile. 

"Just please tell me I'm not the virgin sacrifice in this whole production." Her tone was somewhat sarcastic. The Master chuckled.

"Heavens no. I assure you, you are the last person I would think of sacrificing." She gave a little laugh.

"Gee, thanks."

"Now, I must ask what you have done since witnessing my little ritual?" he asked. 

"What do you mean?" she asked. Beatrice suspected that she knew what he was asking. She wouldn't lie to him. But she wasn't going to make it easy.

"My dear, you are a woman of beyond reasonable intelligence. I know you well enough to know that you would not have come to confront me without first helping UNIT." 

"You do know me well. I may have sent a letter to the Doctor, explaining what I saw and suspected." She said unapologetically. The Master sighed.

"Of course, you did." 

"In all fairness, you aren't being very subtle. Reverand Majester? Do you honestly think that the Doctor at the very least won't recognize that it means Master in Latin?" 

"So, you picked up on that." Commented the Master as he sat down behind the desk. Beatrice perched on the edge of the desk in front of him. 

"I took Latin at Sunday school." She said with a shrug. "Although I'm not fluent by any means." 

"It seems I learn something new about you every day." 

"To be fair there is far more to learn about you considering you certainly trump me in age." She said with a small smile. 

"You forget time is non-linear and I interact with it in a very different manner than you do." 

"How old are you in earth terms?" Beatrice asked, legitimately curious.

"How old do you think?" he replied. She laughed.

"I honestly haven't got a clue. I'm going to be polite and guess 600?" the Master chuckled. 

"Close you're just over half a century off. I'm 654 in earth terms." 

"Christ! Talk about an age gap."

"The Doctor is actually a few years younger." Said the Master.

"I guess we know who aged better. He looks like an old man while you still look like you're in your 50s." 

"Thank you. Timelord bodies vary from regeneration to regeneration some are old some are young. However, we can with practice somewhat control our appearance. Unfortunately for the Doctor, he has yet to master that particular skill."

"I see." She glanced at the television in the corner. "Have you met that Hawthorne woman who was on the telly earlier?" she asked. 

"Ah, yes, she was the one claiming to be a witch correct?" 

"Yeah, that woman is definitely missing a few marbles." 

"She attempted to speak with me earlier while looking for the former vicar."

"Do I want to know what happened to the former vicar?" asked Beatrice, raising an eyebrow. 

"I simply convinced him to take a leave of absence."

"So, hypnosis then?" the Master nodded. 

"Clever girl."

"I suppose that's better than killing him." She said with a small sigh. 

"Speaking of Miss Hawthorne, the two of you have one similarity." 

"Oh really?"

"Well, both of you are immune to hypnosis. Although in her case I think it is largely extreme stubbornness." 

"What did you do to her?" Beatrice asked sharply. 

"Worry not my dear, I simply asked the Sexton to keep her out of the way."

"Let's just hope he didn't decide to do that via killing her." Said Beatrice. She slipped off the desk and sat sideways in the Master's lap. He toyed with a loose lock of her long red hair. 

"You know I can't let you go now that you've discovered my plans."

"Who says I want to go?" she said somewhat coyly. 

"You really are the most fascinating woman I've ever met." Beatrice blushed. 

"I doubt that's true."

"Well, certainly the most fascinating woman I've met in a long time." 

"I suppose that might be a bit more accurate." She said leaning in to kiss him. Suddenly there was a knock at the door they pulled apart and Beatrice quickly slipped off the Master's lap, hurriedly smoothing her hair which was now slightly messed up. The Master let out what Beatrice guessed was a Gallifreyan curse word. 

"Excuse me Mr Majester. I was wondering if I should prepare for the next ritual," asked Garvin.

"Yes, yes go ahead," answered the Master irritably. Garvin shot Beatrice, who was now occupying the chair behind the desk, a suspicious look but left.

"So what exactly is your plan?" asked Beatrice.

"I plan on summoning the Daemon Azal and convincing him to pass his power onto me." the Master told her. Beatrice facepalmed she took a deep breath.

"Master, I'm going to repeat back to you what you say your plan is and I want you to listen carefully. You are planning to summon a powerful Daemon who you can't even properly control, and betting that he MIGHT give you his power. What part of that sounds even the slightest bit reasonable?"

"I admit it sounds slightly ridiculous when you put it that way. But as I said everything is going according to plan." Beatrice threw her hands up in surrender.

"Clearly I can't talk you out of this but let the record reflect I REALLY think this is going to backfire on you." She gave a small yawn. The Master gave her a slightly concerned look.

"When was the last time you got any rest?" he asked.

"Well, we got here around midnight and then I was up with Jo for several hours. So I'd say I might have gotten two or three hours of sleep." she replied. The Master raised an eyebrow.

"Beatrice, the average human needs at least eight hours of sleep to function properly." 

"You stay up late working on the TARDIS," pointed out Beatrice.

"Yes, but I'm not human," the Master replied.

"I'm fine," said Beatrice standing up although she did have to admit she was feeling slightly drained. The Master gave her a look that clearly showed he didn't believe her.

"My dear, you look like you're going to fall asleep on your feet," he told her as he gently tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.

"I can't hide anything from you can I," she said giving him a small smile.

"Not really," he replied. "Why don't you go rest in the TARDIS. I'll be calling a meeting of the village in about an hour and a half I'll wake you up right before it."

Beatrice paused. Truthfully she was extremely exhausted. A brief nap would probably be helpful. Not to mention at the moment there wasn't much she could do. The Master also seemed to be genuinely concerned about her. Something which she thought was slightly sweet.

"Fine, but you'd better wake me up for the meeting. I may not be able to stop you but I would prefer to keep an eye on what the hell you're doing."

"I promise my dear," he told her as he gave her a brief kiss. With that Beatrice headed into the TARDIS.

Author's note: Aww... the Master is concerned about his Beatrice:) Also I kinda needed to get her out of the way for a bit. Hope you all are enjoying this. Given that this book is from the Master and Beatrice's points of view, I am leaving out some scenes from the episode where the Master was not present so I may add a scene or two to explain some of what is happening. I have also borrowed dialogue directly from the episode and I do not own that script. It is the property of the BBC. Please like and comment! I will try and update soon. Thanks for reading!


	8. The Daemons Part 4

The Master hadn't been totally surprised to see Beatrice. He knew that summoning Azal would draw the attention of the Doctor and consequently Beatrice. 

Her disapproval of his plan was also to be expected as well as slightly amusing. She could be quite entertaining at times. It was part of why he enjoyed her company so much. 

His suggestion for her to get some rest had been genuine. The poor woman looked exhausted, which was unsurprising given how little sleep she had apparently gotten.

It was also slightly odd to have her worrying for him. It had been centuries since anyone else cared what happened to him. Well, with perhaps the exception of the Doctor and his foolish faith that one day the Master might change. Speaking of the Doctor, he needed to find a way to keep the Doctor off his tail for the moment.

He closed his eye and muttered an incantation. Azal had temporarily passed on a very small part of his power to the Master. Combining that with his telepathy and he was able to bring one of the stone gargoyles to life and control it. 

The Master sent a message to the gargoyle, ordering it to find and attack the Doctor. Though not to kill him. The Master went to the window and looked out in the distance he saw the small form of the gargoyle moving. 

Confident that his distraction would work, the Master moved to call Winstanley who was the Squire of the village. He needed to make sure he had control of this village and Winstanley was the perfect person to call the meeting.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

He had just completed the call when he sensed something was wrong with the gargoyle. It was as if it was being driven off by something. The Master closed his eyes and urged the gargoyle on but it refused." Through his connection to the gargoyle, the Master was vaguely aware of the Doctor saying some gibberish in Venusian. 

"Why do you not attack. It's just some ridiculous mumbo jumbo!" he muttered. The gargoyle still refused to attack. "Fine! Return then." the Master sighed Minions could be rather annoying at times. The door to the vicarage opened and Winstanley walked in.

"You said you had something to talk about?" the man asked.

"Yes, there is an emergency. As Squire, you need to call a village meeting."

"You may be the Vicar but I'll advise you not to take that tone with me," argued Winstanley. 

"A man of spirit I see," said the Master unphased. He removed his glasses and looked Winstanley directly in the eyes. "I am the Master. I control great power and you too can share in my triumph. All you have to do is obey." the man began to fall under the Master's hypnosis though not quite as fully as the Master would have liked.

"You control what power?" the man asked in a slightly dreamlike tone.

"I control the forces that have been released in Devils End." said the Master. Winstanley seemed to be fighting the hypnosis and looked unconvinced.

Is everyone in this damn village able to resist hypnosis! The Master thought to himself in annoyance.

He summoned a great wind which blew open the door and knocked over a flower pot. Winstanley looked intimidated.

"Fi...Fine! I'll do whatever you say." he stuttered and left to call the meeting. The Master smirked.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master looked out the window and saw several villagers heading towards the vicarage. He headed to his TARDIS and made his way to Beatrice's room. She was resting peacefully, a gentle smile on her face. Her red hair was spread out on the pillow like a fiery halo.

He sat down on the side of the bed and gently stroked her cheek. At his touch, Beatrice's eyes fluttered open and she gave him a small smile as she sat up.

"Feeling better my dear?" he asked. Beatrice smoothed out her hair.

"Yes, much better. I really was exhausted. I take it the meeting is about to start?" she asked as they both stood up.

"Yes, you did request to be present."

"Of course, someone has to keep an eye on you," she said teasingly as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Shall we go?" he asked and Beatrice nodded. They left the TARDIS and made their way to the foyer of the vicarage where everyone was gathered. The Master made his way to the top of the stairs where Winstanley stood and Beatrice made her way quietly to a corner in the back.

"Order everybody!" called Winstanley. "I thought we should all discuss the current situation of the village before it gets out of hand and Mister Majester had some thoughts on the subject. The Master stepped forward.

"Now, as I've told you, this is not going to be a sermon. But all the same, I do beg of you to listen carefully. Because this could be the most important day in your lives. Now as you know, I am a newcomer among you, and yet already I feel that I know you all. For instance, you, Mister Thorpe. Are you still padding the grocery bills of the local gentry?" his goal was to reveal some of their secrets to prove his power.

"What are you on about? That's slander!" said Thrope indignantly

"Now, now, don't deny it. I know. And you, Charlie. How's your conscience? Do you think you'll manage to balance the Post Office books in time? And you, Mister Grenville. Has your wife come back from her sisters yet? Will, she ever come back, do you suppose?" the villagers began muttering.

"Now, now, no, please. Please do not be angry with me. I assure you that I'm on your side. Now, listen. If you do what I say, you can all of you get whatever you want in this world, when you want it. If you listen to me." he noticed Beatrice snickering slightly in the back though fortunately, nobody noticed.

"I ask you what you want in life and I offer it to you. I tell you that everything is possible if you do as I say. everything. All I need is your obedience and submission." he continued.

"What's this about submission? You said we would rule together." interrupted Winstanley.

"You rule? Ha!" scoffed the Master. "Why you're all less than the dust beneath my feet!" 

Preposterous! 

"You choose to question me, do you? Very well, I'll give you another choice. Obey me or I shall destroy you!" Out of the corner of his eye, the Master saw Beatrice clap a hand to her face in exasperation.

"If that's your brave new world, you can keep it! I'm getting out of here and if the rest of you have got any sense, you'll come with me." Winstanley told the crowd.

"I reckon the Squire's right. Come on, let's get out of here," said Thrope the villagers began to move to leave and the Master clapped his hands together. People let out cries of surprise as the gargoyle lept through the window and pointed at Winstanley who disappeared in a shower of sparks. The crowd was sufficiently shocked. Satisfied the Master lowered his voice slightly.

"Right, does anybody else agree with the Squire? Thank you. It does my heart good to know I have such a willing band of followers. Now, today is May Day. Go and enjoy yourselves. Celebrate the festival with your families. When I need you all, I shall summon you again."

Everyone left and Beatrice met him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, that wasn't dramatic at all," she said sarcastically.

"It was effective," the Master replied.

"Well, yes, but did you have to kill that man?" Beatrice said with a sigh.

"It was the only way to convince them," he told her.

"Well, your only way." One of the cult members entered.

"Mister Majester, it's the Doctor," said the man.

"Excuse me, my dear," the Master said before going to give orders to the man who entered.

"See that the Doctor does not interfere, I don't care how you do it," the Master told him. The man nodded and left. The Master turned back to Beatrice.

"Look, clearly there is no way of making you realize what an absolutely terrible idea this is, honestly, I think this tops your plans in terms of ridiculousness. But for the sake of argument, say this goes haywire. What will you do about your TARDIS? You can't have UNIT get a hold of it." she said.

The Master had to admit Beatrice had a point. His TARDIS was his only way off this wretched planet. If he were captured the TARDIS couldn't very well be left here. Then an idea came to him.

"You make a good point. Perhaps there is something you can do to help. I have a favour to request." he said taking a step closer to her. She tilted her head to one side looking slightly confused.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You are correct. I can't afford to let UNIT get a hold of the TARDIS. If you will allow me I will program the TARDIS to dematerialize to your apartment." he took out his TARDIS key and gently pressed it into her hand. Beatrice looked down at it in surprise.

"Certainly, but you would trust me with your TARDIS? I know how important to you it is," she said. He tilted her chin up slightly and looked her in the eye.

"Beatrice, you have already put quite a bit of trust in me. I think it is about time that I returned the gesture." Clearly touched Beatrice put her arms around him and hugged him.

"Thank you," she murmured in his ear before pulling back slightly. The Master didn't immediately reply but gave him a small smile before telling her,

"There is no one I would trust more." 

Author's Note: Well, there's another chapter. Hope you enjoy. Please like and comment! I would LOVE some feedback. I hope to finish Daemons in the next one or two chapters so I may cut out a few scenes. I do recommend watching the episode if you can. Thanks for reading!


	9. The Daemons Part 5

Beatrice pulled away from the Master and slipped the TARDIS key into her pocket. She was touched by the fact that the Master trusted her with his TARDIS. The door to the vicarage opened and one of the men who Beatrice recognized from the cult meeting entered. She and the Master quickly moved farther apart.

"What is it now?" asked the Master impatiently.

"The Doctor..."

"He got away?" finished the Master looking annoyed.

"Yes, I lost him in the woods, he'll be heading back to the village by now," said the man. 

"Well, then we shall have to see he has a suitable welcome," said the Master. Beatrice watched as he walked over to the man and whispered something in his ear. The man nodded and left.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now you must leave," the Master told her placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Why? You know I'll go tell the Doctor exactly what you are planning." Beatrice asked in slight confusion. 

"Yes, but I suspect by now he will have at least caught on. Even if he hasn't and what you tell him is new information I highly doubt it will make much of a difference," he told her. Beatrice tilted her head to one side.

"You want me out of here because you aren't sure if you can control Azal and you don't want me as collateral damage." The Master looked like he was about to argue then sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

"Infernal woman!" he said although his voice held no real anger.

"Yes, but I'm your infernal woman," replied Beatrice. The Master gently cupped her cheek with his hand and gave her a small smile as she gazed into his eyes. 

"Yes, yes you are. Which is why I need you to go. I am confident in my ability to succeed in my plan. But I'm not quite as confident in my ability to protect you should you get caught in the crossfire." Beatrice leaned into his touch.

"It's sweet that you're worried about me. If you really want me to leave I will. But don't think I won't try and stop you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he said giving her a chaste kiss. "Now go." Beatrice gave him a final smile and left, closing the door behind her.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice ran as fast as she could her victorian lace-up boots making a clicking sound on the pavement and her black caplet flapping in the slight wind. 

She was about halfway down the path when she ran into Sargent Benton and Miss Hawthorne coming from the opposite direction.

"Beatrice! Where the hell have you been?" asked Benton.

"Got captured by the Master but I escaped. Look, he plans to raise the Daemon Azal and try and get his power. The problem is that I'm about 100% sure that the Master can't control him." 

"Yes, the Doctor figured that bit about the Daemons but it seems like those Morris Dancers in the distance have got the Doctor."

"Good lord! Evil morris dancers, that's the last thing we need!" muttered Beatrice. "Do you two have a plan?"

"Yes, but there isn't time to explain. Come with me. Sargent, you know what to do," said Miss Hawthorne. Not knowing what else to do Beatrice followed the woman.

"I knew something was off about that Mister Majester," Hawthorne told her.

"Miss Hawthorne, I may not believe in the occult like you do but I will agree there are forces at work here beyond us," said Beatrice. 

They made it to the maypole and Beatrice could now see that the Doctor was tied up with a bunch of ribbons and wood was piled around his feet. The man who had interrupted her and the Master was carrying a flaming torch.

"Stop! Stop! You will bring terrible retribution for attacking the great Wizard Qui Quae Quod!" called Miss Hawthorne.

"Shut up you old bat!" said the man with the torch.

"You doubt me? Give him a sign of your power oh Mighty One," Miss Hawthorne said to the Doctor.

"What did you have in mind?" the Doctor asked.

"Shatter that lamp!" said Beatrice quickly pointing to one of the nearby lamp posts.

"Very well, lamp shatter!" said the Doctor. with a crash of glass, the lamp shattered. Beatrice realized that Benton must have shot the glass. There was a murmuring from the villagers.

"You know you're beaten. Put the torch down Bert," Miss Hawthorne said derisively. 

"Am I?" asked Bert angrily. At that moment Benton shot the torch out of his hand.

"Yes, I think you are," Beatrice said smugly as she moved to untie the Doctor. Bert tried to run for it but was intercepted by Benton.

"Oh no, you don't chummy! We've all got a date with the Master," he said grabbing Bert.

"Yes, someone needs to save that daft man from hurting himself and everyone else," Beatrice muttered to the Doctor.

"Now I'm telling you all we are facing a greater threat than ever before. I am not a magician and neither is your Mister Majester. I have tricked you but only to save you from him. See?" the Doctor held up his remote control and Bessie came trundling into the field.

"Save yourself you mean," said Bert.

"Yes, that too," admitted the Doctor.

"See I told you! Mister Majester is the one with the real pow...oomf," Bert was cut off by Beatrice giving him a rather hard kick the shins. 

"Do pipe down Bert. We want to hear this," said another villager who Beatrice recognized from the Master's speech.

"But how could the Master be summoning the Daemon if it isn't sorcery?" asked Miss Hawthorne.

"Through science. He uses violent emotions. Fear, hatred, greed. The emotions of a group of ordinary human beings generate a tremendous charge of psychokinetic energy. This the Master channels for his own purpose." explained the Doctor.

"Doctor, as interesting as this is the Master is raising a Daemon right now be it through science or magic. I think we need to deal with that first," Beatrice said.

"And do what? All we can do is wait for the energy exchanger the Brigadier is having built. Then we can drain our visitor's energy and hopefully sort him out." the Doctor told her.

At that moment a gargoyle came waddling out of the church cavern Benton shot at it causing it to explode. Seconds later the gargoyle reformed. 

"One of these days we'll face an alien that ISN'T immune to bullets," said Beatrice in exasperation.

Suddenly Captain Yates came running from the church his hands tied behind his back.

"They've got Jo and the Master's going to sacrifice her!" Beatrice cursed.

"Damn it! I'm going to kill that man." The Doctor grabbed Benton's walkie talkie. 

"Come in Brigadier, they've got Jo. Is that energy exchanger ready?"

"That's the problem Doctor, we got through but the machine overloaded and exploded. We'll be with you soon."

"A fat lot of good that will do. I have no choice, I'm going in." said the Doctor.

"I'm going too," said Beatrice. 

"You can't..." The Doctor began to object but she interrupted him.

"Try and stop me," the Doctor sighed and nodded clearly deciding they didn't have time to argue.

"Very well, Benton shoot the gargoyle again." Sargent Benton did as he was told. Once again the gargoyle exploded. Beatrice and the Doctor ran past its remains before it could reform and stop them.

They entered the cavern to find Jo being held down by two men in dark, hooded robes and the Master standing over her with a knife. In a corner, twenty feet tall was a figure with the head and torso of a man, but the legs and horns of a goat.

"No!" cried Beatrice. To her relief the Master paused. She ran forward and after a small struggle managed to wrest the dagger out of the Master's hand. The distraction had surprised the men holding down Jo who jumped up and ran to the Doctor. 

"Ah, Doctor! I've been expecting you. You've saved me quite a bit of trouble by coming here yourself." said the Master as he quickly recovered from his struggle with Beatrice

"Though I was not expecting you," Beatrice heard the Master say in her mind. For a moment she could have sworn she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes. However, she merely glared at him in response.

"You, realize you are doomed," the Master told the Doctor who nodded.

"Oh, I'm a dead man. I knew that as soon as I came through that door, so you'd better watch out. You see, I've nothing to lose, have I?"

"Enough! Azal, destroy him!" Yelled the Master. 

"Who is this?!" demanded Azal.

"My enemy and yours, Azal. Destroy him!"

"This is the one we spoke of. He too is not of this planet."

"He is a meddler and a fool." argued the Master. 

"He is not a fool, yet he has done a foolish thing coming here. Why did you come?" Azal asked the Doctor.

"I came to talk to you," the Doctor told him. 

"Talk then."

"I want you to leave this planet before it's too late. I have a machine outside that can destroy you," said the Doctor.

"The machine was destroyed," contradicted Azal.

"One of them was but not the other," Beatrice could tell from the look on the Daemon's face that he didn't buy the Doctor's bluff.

"I must pass on my power or destroy this world."

"How about you don't destroy the world and we all go home," said Beatrice under her breath. The Master shot her a look that clearly said, "Shut up."

"If you will not leave then destroy him and pass your power onto me! You said yourself, I have the will. Who else is strong enough to give these humans the leadership they need?" said the Master.

"I seem to remember somebody else speaking like that. What was the bounder's name? Hitler. Yes, that's right, Adolf Hitler. Or was it Genghis Khan?" said the Doctor in an angry tone.

"And for the record, that's not a compliment," Beatrice told the Master her glare not wavering.

"I will pass on my powers. To him," said Azal pointing at the Doctor who looked alarmed.

"No! I don't want it!" cried the Doctor. 

"See what you started?" hissed Beatrice to the Master.

"You refuse my offer. You are not rational and must be eliminated," said Azal.

"No! Please don't kill him! He's a good man! Kill me instead!" shouted Jo, jumping in front of the Doctor.

To Beatrice's shock, the Daemon grabbed his head as if in pain and the cavern began to shake.

"This action does not relate. There is no data. It does not relate. Go! Leave me, all of you!" At his words, the Master grabbed Beatrice's hand and pulled her out of the cavern. Beatrice heard Jo and the Doctor behind them. 

Everyone burst out of the church, running to get as far away as possible from the building. Suddenly the church exploded throwing everyone running off their feet.

Beatrice noticed upon hitting the ground that the Master had positioned himself over her so as to protect her from any falling rubble. Once the debris quit falling the Master shifted his position so he was kneeling on the ground next to her.

"I thought you said no virgin sacrifices!" Beatrice said angrily.

"I thought I told you to stay AWAY from the cavern," pointed out the Master as they helped each other stand up. Before Beatrice could answer there was the click of a gun being cocked.

"Alright, hands up," said Sargent Benton as he held the gun to the Master's head. The Master appeared to be complying only to throw his long red robe over Benton who was taken by surprise.

Beatrice made to grab his arm but missed. The Master jumped in Bessie and began driving away. Shots were fired at the car.

"Stop shooting! You'll damage Bessie!" said the Doctor.

"Do you want him to get away?" asked the Brigadier.

"Bessie will bring him back," the Doctor told him calmly as he took out his remote control. Sure enough, Bessie turned around and drove back towards them. The Master held his hands up in surrender looking slightly resigned. Beatrice walked up to the car as he got out.

"Next time don't try and use your enemy's vehicle as a getaway car," said Beatrice placing her hands on her hips. She fully intended to chew the Master out over sacrificing Jo, but it appeared that would have to wait for a later date.

"Right you are my dear," said the Master. Against her better judgement, Beatrice gave him a small smile as he was loaded into the back of a truck and surrounded by multiple guards. 

"Take him away, I'll deal with him later," said the Doctor.

"Will you?" asked the Master raising an eyebrow. "You always were an optimist weren't you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment," the Doctor said coming to stand next to Beatrice. The Master caught Beatrice's gaze. Hazel meeting dark brown.

They kept their eyes on each other as the car drove away, only breaking eye contact when the truck turned around a bend and out of sight.

"So what actually happened Doctor?" asked the Brigadier.

"Well, it seems Jo's willingness to sacrifice herself for me confused the Daemon. He couldn't face an act as irrational and illogical as her being prepared to give up herself in my place."

"Well, thank goodness for Jo," said Beatrice, smiling at her friend. The villagers had begun their Maypole dance again. This time without attacking the Doctor.

"Come Sargent we must do the fertility dance to celebrate," said Miss Hawthorne, grabbing Sargent Benton before he could object. Beatrice laughed until she felt a pull on her hand which Benton had grabbed. Clearly she wasn't going to be allowed to abstain from the festivities though she soon found she enjoyed it

Soon the Doctor and Jo joined the dance. As they skipped around the Maypole holding onto the long ribbons Beatrice heard the Doctor say to Jo.

"You know Jo, I think you were right. There is magic in the world after all."

As she felt the palpable joy of the villagers Beatrice found she agreed.

Author's note: Hey there! I know this chapter is a bit long but I didn't want to make Daemons any longer. I have used some of the dialogue directly from the episode and that bit belongs to the BBC. Please like and COMMENT I really want to hear what you guys think. Thank you very much for reading and I hope to update soon!


	10. The Truth Comes Out

As Beatrice prepared to leave for work she glanced over at the large bookcase that currently occupied a corner of her small living room. Before leaving the small village of Devil's End Beatrice had made a trip back to the vicarage and found the Master's TARDIS. 

After pressing the dematerialization switch and darting out of it the TARDIS had disappeared from the vicarage and Beatrice had found it disguised as a bookcase in her apartment's living room. It had now been about a month since the Daemon's incident 

The weather was getting nicer now that it was the beginning of June so she decided that a simple sweater over her blue dress would be enough to keep her warm

Due to the rather annoying traffic in London, she made it to UNIT with only a few minutes to spare before her shift began. After punching in on the timecard she made her way to the Doctor's laboratory. He was once again working on his dematerialization circuit. 

"How's it going today?" she asked pleasantly.

"Not much better luck than usual. Pass me those plyers," Beatrice obliged.

"Do have any idea of when the Timelords will get off their high horse and let you go?" 

"Not in the slightest. It could be months or years from now." said the Doctor slightly grumpily.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse. After all, at least they exiled you to a planet that needs your help," she said trying to sound optimistic.

"True, although if the Master would quit causing so much trouble this planet wouldn't need saving quite as often."

"I think he does it to give you something to keep you busy." The Doctor looked at her slightly disbelievingly.

"Well think about it. All those time's you've been running off on other planets he could have invaded and probably succeeded. But he waited until you were stuck on this planet and able to oppose him before he made his move."

"I suppose you have a point. Between you and me I'm rather fond of the old devil when he isn't causing chaos." The Doctor told her with a small smile.

"I suspect the Master feels similarly," Beatrice replied smiling back. The Doctor didn't answer and instead moved to grab his keys for Bessie.

"What do you say to taking a ride in Bessie? I need to get away from the lab so I can get a fresh perspective on this blasted circuit."

"That sounds enjoyable," agreed Beatrice and they left. Beatrice watched as they drove past green fields that blurred as they passed. She suspected the Doctor was going way over the speed limit but she wasn't worried.

Finally, they stopped at the top of a hill. The Doctor turned off the car and there was a brief silence. At last, he turned to look at her.

Suddenly a thought hit Beatrice she wondered if this was going where she suspected. 

"I suppose you are wondering why I brought you out here," said the Doctor.

"A little bit," she confessed.

"I thought we had best have this discussion without having to worry about being overheard by your superiors." When Beatrice didn't answer the Doctor said quietly,

"I know. About you and the Master," Beatrice looked at him in slight confusion. 

"How?" she asked. 

"The Master and I may not be as close as we once were, but I am rather good at reading him. To me, his interest in you is obvious I've never seen him treat a human the way he has treated you. Not to mention that you clearly care for him." 

"Are we that obvious?"

"No. The two of you are relatively careful. If I didn't know the Master as well as I do I wouldn't have picked up on it and I doubt UNIT will. It was mostly little things. The Venusian scarf, the fact that he has gone out of his way NOT to harm you, even the way that you look at each other."

"So is this the part where you try and convince me to leave him or you'll tell UNIT? Because I won't leave him even if you do," Beatrice said earnestly. To her surprise, the Doctor shook his head. 

"You are clearly doing this of your own volition. You're a fully-grown woman and have every right to have a relationship with whoever you choose. It's also obviously not compromising your commitment as a UNIT agent." 

"So you won't expose us?" Beatrice asked.

"No, truthfully, when I see you two together, I see a glimpse of the man I once considered my best friend. I haven't seen him care for someone the way he cares for you since Ailla." 

"Ailla?"Beatrice questioned. 

"An old companion of the Master's although I would suggest you ask him for the full story. I merely want to make sure you are aware of the consequences of your actions."

"I know we're playing with fire. I know who he is and that he won't change, but I do see some good in him. The same good that stops the two of you from being able to kill each other. I care for him deeply and I believe that he cares about me. I'm aware that this can't last forever. But I can't help how I feel about him."

"That is what I wanted to hear," said the Doctor he looked her in the eye and gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Beatrice," he said. 

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

"For proving that my old friend is still there," he told her as he restarted the car and turned around. Beatrice grinned at his words.

Author's Note: Well, the Doctor's in on the secret now. Nice of him not to snitch on them. I decided that it wouldn't be realistic that the Doctor wouldn't notice SOMETHING was going on between Beatrice and the Master. Please like and COMMENT! I love hearing what you guys think, it really improves my writing. Thank you very much for reading!


	11. Family Bonding

There was a click as Beatrice took a picture of her absolutely adorable niece Michelle before joining the child on the floor.

Beatrice smiled cheerfully as she played with her niece. She and her sister Louisa had decided to visit their brother.

Louisa entered from the kitchen carrying two glasses of water soon followed by Collin. His wife Janine was at her work but like Beatrice and Louisa, he had the day off.

"Enjoying being an aunt?" he asked Beatrice who nodded.

"Absolutely, how's being a father?" she asked.

"Fantastic, Michelle, as you can see is doing well, I can't believe she is already one. Janine is enjoying being a mom. Now I'm a dad I officially appreciate everything that Mum and Dad raising us." 

"We did worry them a fair amount," agreed Beatrice.

"Says the girl responsible for most of the worrying events," said Louisa playfully. Beatrice liked this side of her sister much more than the snooty attitude she had picked up working in the high-end bridal shop.

"One of us had to be the troublemaker of the group and the two of you were complete goody-two-shoes," Beatrice replied.

"If you hadn't dragged us into so much trouble our childhood would have been significantly less enjoyable," Collin told her as the three of them sipped their drinks.

"Remember our prank war with the boys who lived next door?" asked Louisa.

"As I recall we pelted them with water balloons from our treehouse after they teased you and Beatrice," Collin replied.

"Thant was fun. I'm sure your daughter will get into plenty of mischief. It's practically a right of passage for a kid." Beatrice said as she lightly bounced Michelle on her lap

"So what have you been up to? I heard that you had an accident a few months ago. I know you said that you were recovering but I didn't hear much else," he asked her.

"Full recovery and back to normal," Beatrice told them quickly. Louisa looked at her suspiciously. She might not be quite as skilled as Beatrice when it came to perception but that didn't mean she was blind to her sibling's emotions.

"Are you sure?" Louisa asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Beatrice assured her and Louisa let the matter drop. Beatrice really didn't want any argument's breaking out.

"You know you are fantastic with kids," Collin told her.

"Good practice for when you settle down and have a family," agreed Louisa cheerfully. Beatrice paused for a moment. She did like children but with all the danger she constantly dealt with it could put the child in danger and selfish though it might sound she wasn't ready to give up her life of adventure. Besides, it wasn't like she and the Master would ever settle down together. The idea was laughable.

"We'll see," was all she said.

"Jumping over to the topic of romance, have you met anyone in London yet who you like?" Louisa asked.

Yes, he's a certified intergalactic criminal who I should technically be trying to chase down. He has a time machine and I've been travelling the universe with him. Oh, and I have to hide this entire relationship from both my superiors and my family. Beatrice thought to herself but smiled at her siblings and replied.

"No, I really don't have time for that sort of thing."

"Understandable," Collin said with a shrug.

"What about you Louisa?" asked Beatrice.

"I just went on a date with a man who's a bartender at the local pub," Louisa said happily.

"I hope it works out," Beatrice told her sister.

"Me too. I'm going to go check on those muffins I was making," said Louisa as she left the room. Beatrice passed Michelle over to Collin.

"So everything alright at work in general?" he asked quietly.

"Let's just say things have been quite exciting," Beatrice said thinking about the Daemons.

"Mum and Dad are getting a little worried. You've been going MIA more than usual," he told her.

Beatrice winced. If she were being honest, keeping in contact with her parents had taken a bit of a back seat ever since she began her secret relationship with the Master. A part of her felt slightly ashamed as she did care about her parents but she was also a little annoyed that they seemed more concerned about her than her other siblings.

"I'm sorry, I know it sounds like I'm making excuses and maybe I am, but I really have been busy. It just slipped my mind a little. Why can't they worry more about you and Louisa?" 

"I'm sure you have. I think it's just how secretive you are about your life, that all they can do is draw conclusions from the information they have, which isn't much."

"I wish I could tell you what is going on but I just can't. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Even if she wasn't obligated not to talk, how could she explain the existence of alien threats to her parents? She wasn't even sure if they would believe her. Besides, if they actually knew what she did on a daily basis they might worry more.

"I'm not criticizing you. I'm sure you have your reasons to keep things secret. It's just something to think about." Collin said as he handed Michelle back to Beatrice and stood up before leaving the room.

Beatrice looked at Michelle. She was so young and innocent. She didn't have to worry about secrets or lies. Everything was new to her. 

"Enjoy having a simple life while you can. It gets way more complicated for us adults," she told the girl who giggled.

Author's note: I'm trying to flesh out her family a little more. We should be covering Sea Devils next so look for future updates soon. Please like and COMMENT. Thanks for reading!


	12. The Sea Devils Part 1

Beatrice looked up as she Jo and the Doctor flew across the water in a small motorboat. They were heading to see the Master. 

"There you are Jo, the Master's permanent residence." The Doctor pointed to the tall fortress looming up ahead.

"Let's hope he stays that way." Stated Jo. Beatrice rolled her eyes behind their backs. Like that's going to happen. She thought to herself. In her opinion the Master's escape was inevitable. He was not an individual one could hold hostage for a long period of time. As they got out of the boat she turned to the Doctor. 

"Is he a guest or a prisoner?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" asked the Doctor. She raised an eyebrow. 

"You put him in a CASTLE." 

"The security is supposed to be top-notch." Said Jo. 

"Yes, and for any ordinary prisoner that would work. But this is the Master." Pointed out, Beatrice. 

"We shall simply have to see," said the Doctor as they walked inside. Once they had shown their passes they were led up to an office on the top floor. Inside a man was working apparently oblivious to their entrance. 

"Well, I suppose we could come back later," said the Doctor. The man looked up and hurried around the desk to shake the Doctor's hand. 

"Oh, you must be the chappy from UNIT." 

"My name is the Doctor and these are my assistants, Miss Josephine Grant and Miss Beatrice Rosenfield." 

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Colonel Trenchard. I hope you had a pleasant trip."

"Wet." Replied Beatrice who still had some specks of sea spray in her hair. 

"You're late you know." Commented Trenchard. The Doctor looked a bit miffed. They had been delayed as the Doctor had managed to lose his sonic screwdriver and it had taken over an hour to find it. The Doctor cleared his throat.

"We were held up." 

"Thought you might have sunk."

"What do you mean? Why would you think that?" asked Beatrice. 

"Oh, happens all the time lately. Ships going missing and such." Trenchard told her. 

"You haven't had any trouble with the prisoner have you?" asked the Doctor. 

"No, not at all. He's been a model prisoner." Said Trenchard. 

"Your kidding." Said Jo and Beatrice at the same time. 

"You mean he hasn't tried to escape or hypnotize anybody?" 

"You've seen our security precautions and our guards are immune to hypnosis." 

"Really?" said the Doctor somewhat disbelievingly.

"Yes, watch." Trenchard turned on a security video which showed the Master reading a book. A guard walked in and began speaking to the Master. As they watched the Master made an attempt to hypnotize the guard but failed. 

"See?" said Trenchard. Beatrice gave a nod but she had a suspicion there was more to this than met the eye. Trenchard led them down several corridors until they reached the Master's cell. 

"Visitors for you Master." Said Trenchard as the Doctor, Jo, and Beatrice walked in. 

"Doctor, Miss Grant, Beatrice! What a surprise." Said the Master cheerfully as he politely stood up to greet them setting down what appeared to be a crossword.

"This place looks more like a hotel room than a cell." Said Beatrice surveying the room. 

"The people here have been quite accommodating." Said the Master.

"Well, how are you?" asked the Doctor.

"Quite well, thank you," the Master replied.

"Give the guard a shout when you want to leave." Said Trenchard as he left.

"He's a decent sort. He used to be Governor of a colony, or so he tells me." Said the Master conversationally.

"A very small colony. If I recall they proclaimed independence shortly after he arrived. The four of them laughed at this. 

"True," said the Master. 

"He seems to be looking after you quite well," said Jo with a smile.

"Yes, I have everything I want. Except for my freedom of course." 

"You should be grateful. Quite a few people were in favour of having you executed." The Doctor told him. Beatrice winced involuntarily at the thought of the Master being executed.

"My dear doctor, don't think that I am not grateful. I've had a chance to think about things while I've been here."

"Have you now?" said the Doctor disbelievingly. 

"I wish something like this had happened a long time ago." Replied the Master. 

"Did you hit your head on the way in?" asked Beatrice in mock concern. She didn't believe the Master for a second.

"Surely you don't like being locked up here?" said Jo in confusion. 

"No," conceded the Master. 

"But it has given me a chance to reconsider my life." Beatrice scoffed. 

"That would be the miracle of the century," she said in a sarcastic tone. 

"As usual your faith in me is astounding." The Master said to her in a dry tone although she could have almost sworn she saw the glimmer of a smile on his face for a fraction of a second.

"I take it you're a changed man?" questioned the Doctor. 

"Is that so incredible? After all, I do have a great deal for which to repent." 

"You're telling us." Said Jo somewhat sarcastically.

"In that case, perhaps you'd like to tell me the whereabouts of your TARDIS?" asked the Doctor. Beatrice caught the Master's eye. She knew very well where his TARDIS was located. However, that did not mean she was going to reveal where it was. The Master trusted her. At least as much as he trusted anybody. There was no way she would betray that. 

"So that you can use it to escape this planet?" asked the Master. 

"No, so I can make sure that you don't." the Doctor said gruffly.

"No, I'm afraid that is too much to ask." The Master told him. 

"Ask a silly question, come on Jo, Beatrice, let's go." Said the Doctor showing Jo to the door. He then turned back awkwardly.

"Er, is there anything I can do for you at all?" asked the Doctor. 

"There is one thing- Please come now and then to have a chat. Trenchard's a very nice man but his conversation is somewhat limited." 

"Goodbye," said Jo with a smile.

"Goodbye Miss Grant, goodbye Doctor." The Master held out his hand for the Doctor to shake. The Doctor moved to take it but seemed to think better of it and settled for an awkward wave which the Master returned. 

"Beatrice? Are you coming?" asked the Doctor, seeing that Beatrice had not made any move towards the door. 

"In a minute. I have something I want to discuss with the Master. In private." The Doctor studied her for a moment and Beatrice remembered their discussion in Bessie. 

"Alright, but be quick about it." He told her. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Once Jo and the Doctor left the room Beatrice turned to the Master and smiled at him.

"So, enjoying your vacation?" she asked. 

"It has certainly become infinitely better now that you are here." Said the Master. Beatrice blushed slightly. But then put her hands on her hips in disapproval. 

"Don't think flattery will get you off the hook after you nearly sacrificed Jo. It's bad enough you killing random UNIT officers because they are in the way, but Jo is totally innocent and not a threat in the slightest." 

"Would an apology help?" offered the Master. 

"Well, it would be a start. Like I said, you killing my fellow UNIT officers is bad but nearly killing one of my closest friends crosses a line." 

"Very well, I apologize for almost sacrificing Miss Grant. In the future, I'll stick to kidnapping." He said taking a step closer to her.

"That has to be one of the worst apologies I ever heard." Beatrice sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Damn it! I'm trying to stay mad at you but I can't. It's rather frustrating." 

"I'm sure it is," he said as he tenderly ghosted a hand down her cheek.

"Careful, there are security cameras," she reminded him. 

"I wouldn't worry." Said the Master. He took her hand and pulled her into a corner of the room that she assumed was a blind spot. Pulling her close into his arms he leaned down and kissed her. She returned the kiss happily. As they pulled apart she leaned her head on his chest. 

"I've missed you." She murmured. Her anger at him had evaporated as soon as it had come. He ran a hand through her hair which she had purposefully worn down for the visit. She knew he liked her hair down. 

"And I you," he replied in just as soft a voice.

"I hate the idea of you being locked up. Even if it is safer for the rest of the universe."

"Your concern is quite touching my dear." He told her.

"At least it's comfortable here." She said with a smile.

"Perhaps, though it normally misses one key element." Once again, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks and her heart sped up a little. 

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I needed a good excuse to justify coming here which meant waiting till the Doctor decided to come." 

"Yes, I was beginning to worry you had forgotten me." He said his tone slightly teasing. She gave him a small smile.

"Nothing could make me forget you," Beatrice told him. He gave her a genuine smile. Something he reserved purely for her. 

"Thank you for not revealing the location of my TARDIS." He said.

"Of course, speaking of which," Beatrice took two keys out of her pocket. One was the TARDIS key and the other was a key to her apartment. She gently slipped them into the Master's hand. 

"Thank you," said the Master. They were silent for a while. 

"Beatrice!" called Jo's voice. Beatrice muttered a small curse that caused the Master to chuckle. She looked up at him regretfully. 

"I'd better go. Before they get suspicious." She rose up on her toes and gave the Master one last brief kiss. After a moment they separated enough for her to look up into his deep brown eyes. She recalled for a moment how those eyes had been what had captivated her when they first met. The Master gave a small sigh.

"I suppose you are right; Miss Grant will begin to think I did something horrible to you." Beatrice smiled faintly. They both knew the Master would never hurt her.

"Beatrice!" Came Jo's voice again.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" she called back a tinge of irritation in her voice. Slowly she pulled away and they moved back into the sight of the security camera. 

"I don't suppose you'll tell me what your planning?" she asked the Master. 

"No, I don't think so my dear. Though you may find out soon enough. It was lovely seeing you." He took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. 

"Hopefully I'll see you again soon." She replied before finally walking out the door.

"What took you so long?" asked Jo.

"Oh, nothing. We just had a nice little chat." Beatrice told her vaguely. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master watched as Beatrice slowly walked away. He had been legitimately happy to see her. Beatrice always seemed to make things inexplicably brighter. A light in his world of darkness and chaos.

"Until we meet again my dear," he said with a small smile on his face. He then turned and continued the crossword he had been working on. Not long after Trenchard came in.

"Well, we certainly fooled them didn't we?" Trenchard said cheerfully.

"Don't underestimate the Doctor. Do you honestly think he came just to see me?" asked the Master.

"Why else?"

"The vanishing ships of course," the Master told him. Trenchard may be useful but he could certainly be dim at times.

"Oh I don't think so, he didn't seem very interested when I mentioned them." 

"You did what?" the Master said sharply. 

"We were just chatting. Anyway, the admiralty charts you wanted will be here soon," said Trenchard.

"Fine," the Master said dismissively and Trenchard left. The Master only hoped that Trenchard's careless chattering hadn't caused the Doctor to investigate although if he didn't Beatrice probably did. Her curiosity levels were almost as bad as the Doctor's. Although he found it more endearing in her as opposed to the annoyance it was with the Doctor.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Jo had hidden behind briefly on the Doctor's orders as a distraction. As Beatrice and the Doctor walked down to the docks with the man who had driven the boat out here. The Doctor was asking about the vanishing ships which had also caught Beatrice's attention.

"Yes, the navy told us to keep quiet about it. That's their secret research establishment," the man pointed to an island in the distance where Beatrice could make out a large building.

"Some secret," muttered Beatrice.

"You could take us out there couldn't you?" asked the Doctor.

"You'll have to make your own arrangements to go there. I'm only paid to bring you here and back." said the boatman.

"Very well, you're right. I don't suppose you could go look for my other assistant? She stayed behind to get a few postcards. I'd go but my bad leg is acting up." catching on Beatrice offered her arm.

"Oh, yes your poor leg, can't have you aggravating it," she said.

"Hurt it in Crimea you know," said the Doctor. Beatrice resisted the urge to facepalm.

"I don't mind. Wait, Crimea?" the man did a double-take.

"Gallipoli? Oh it doesn't matter I suppose, " said the Doctor quickly.

"I suppose not. I'll be right back," said the boatman as he left. Once he was out of sight Beatrice lightly hit the Doctor on the arm.

"Crimea? Wrong century Doctor." 

"Oh with the number of wars your planet has it gets confusing. Now shall we go before the chap comes back?"

"Yes," agreed Beatrice as they both got in the boat and sped off towards the naval base.

Author's Note: There's part one! On a side note, the Crimean War was in 1853-1856. The Doctor needs to review his history:) Hope you are all enjoying this. Please COMMENT I really want to hear what you guys think. Thanks for reading! Until next time Whovians!


	13. The Sea Devils Part 2

Once the boat the Doctor and Beatrice had borrowed reached the naval base they jumped out and began examining the lifeboat on the beach. There were a series of linear scorch marks on the bottom.

"What do you think?" asked the Doctor taking out a magnifying glass.

"Well, that isn't the normal pattern for scorch marks," said Beatrice. Pushing back a stray strand of hair. She had put it up before leaving the prison. If things were going to get adventurous she wanted it out of the way.

"Hey! You can't be here!" called a soldier running up.

"Ah, yes. I wonder if you could take us to your commanding officer?" asked the Doctor politely. Surprisingly the soldier agreed.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"But why didn't you make an official appointment?" asked Captain Hart the man in charge of the base. 

"Oh we were just passing through and decided to pop in," the Doctor told him.

"Why?" 

"We wanted to investigate the disappearing ships," said Beatrice.

"You've inspected the lifeboat yourself I presume," the Doctor said to Hart.

"Yes of course," replied Hart.

"How do you account for the linear shape of the scorch marks?" asked the Doctor.

"Freak result of the fire," suggested Hart.

"But the boat clearly didn't catch fire," Beatrice interjected.

"How do you explain it?" asked Hart.

" A concentrated beam of heat, applied from underneath the boat whilst it was still in the water. To deliberately sink the boat and make sure there are no survivors. " explained the Doctor.

Beatrice was slightly impressed by how quickly the Doctor deduced the case of the marks.

"What are these markers on the wall?" asked Beatrice pointing to a large map with little red markers.

"Those are the points of all the disappearing vessels," Hart told her. Captain Hart's secretary poked her head into the room.

"There is a young lady with passes from UNIT asking for the Doctor."

"Ah, my assistant," said the Doctor.

"Let her up," said Hart. Soon Jo joined them. 

"Here are the passes sir," she told Hart handing them over.

"Well, this all looks in order. You can go now. I suggest you take your suspicions to UNIT and get this on an official level." He told them.

"You know if Horatio Nelson were still in charge of this base he wouldn't wait for official instructions." said the Doctor angrily.

"Yes, quite an impulsive fellow if the history books can be believed," said Hart.

"History books! I'll have you know Horatio Nelson was a personal friend of mine!" Beatrice winced at the Doctor's words.

"Wrong time period AGAIN," she hissed.

"Doctor, I think the nice man wants us to leave," said Jo guiding the Doctor out with Beatrice following. Once they left the building they headed towards the boat they had come in. 

"We aren't really going to leave are we?" asked Beatrice.

"No I intend to visit the base where all these ships have been disappearing," said the Doctor as they got in the boat and road off.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They made it to the station where all the ships disappeared and climbed out of the boat and up a rope ladder. Beatrice went last as she was wearing a dress. For once Jo was the more sensibly dressed one in her white and black pantsuit.

Once one board they headed below decks to explore. It was dank and dreary below decks. Beatrice was glad that she didn't have claustrophobia. The Doctor took out a scanning device and held it out.

"There's someone here alright." suddenly there was the sound of an explosion. Looking out one of the portholes Beatrice saw the remains of the boat they had come in."

"Doctor! We're stranded," said Jo in a worried tone. Beatrice was also concerned but trusted the Doctor to have a plan.

"Don't worry these places usually have radio's we can use," assured the Doctor. 

As they came around a corner they found a body laying on the ground. Beatrice dropped down next to him and took his pulse. There was none.

"He's dead." 

"Poor chap," said the Doctor. "Let's find that radio." 

They continued on but stopped when they heard footsteps. Suddenly a man came around the next corner brandishing a wrench. The Doctor quickly disarmed him with Venusian Karate and grabbed him to stop him fighting.

"Calm down we're friends!"

"The Sea Devils they killed Hickman!" said the man continuing to struggle. Beatrice moved behind him and put pressure on the back of his neck as she had with the Avalonian king. The man went limp.

"Where did you learn that?" asked the Doctor. Beatrice raised an eyebrow. 

"Do you need to ask?" 

"It doesn't matter, let's get him back to his cabin." They half carried half dragged the man back the way he came and found a cabin with a bed where they placed him. Jo sat next to him to calm him down as he woke.

"Look, Doctor, a radio!" exclaimed Beatrice pointing to a nearby table.

"Excellent," the Doctor said.

"What do you plan to do?" asked Jo.

"Turn it into a transmitter but I need to know where the transistor radios are."

"In the crew's quarters," said the man who was finally beginning to make sense. 

"You two stay here then," the Doctor told Beatrice and Jo before leaving the room.

"So what's your name?" Jo asked the man.

"Clark. What happened? I think I must have fallen unconscious." 

"Oh, uh. That was me. l didn't want you to hurt anyone so I might have knocked you out. Sorry." Beatrice said wincing.

"It's fine I suppose it was the safest thing," said Clark. Beatrice stood up and walked to the porthole, looking out at the water crashing against the station. She wondered briefly what the Master's plan was.

Suddenly the Doctor came hurtling back into the room and locked the door. He grabbed a table and dragged it over to barricade the door.

"What is it?" asked Jo.

"Well, it seems I've run into one of the Sea Devils this fellow was referring to." 

"Let me guess, they're hostile?" Beatrice asked with a sigh moving to assist the Doctor.

Nodding the Doctor grabbed a wire and some crocodile clips and attached them to the bolt on the door. Taking the other end of the wire he attached that to a box with a switch on it. The door began to melt.

"Definitely hostile," said Jo. A scaly hand reached through the hold in the door the Doctor flipped the switch and there was a scream as the hand retracted. Once they were sure it had moved the Doctor unbolted the door and opened it.

"Where are we going?" asked Jo.

"We have to follow that creature," said the Doctor and the three of them chased after it. 

It was remarkably quick as they chased it around the station. After a fair bit of running, they almost had it cornered when it jumped out a broken window into the sea.

"Well, that's that lead gone," said Beatrice.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," agreed the Doctor. "Let's go back and try to fix the radio."

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After the Doctor had been working on the radio in silence for a while Beatrice asked.

"Doctor you said you had seen something like these creatures before."

"Yes in the caves of Derbyshire although this section of the species seems to have adapted itself to the water."

"What woke them?" asked Jo.

"The building of this station probably," said the Doctor. With a healthy dose of Master interference, thought Beatrice. She wasn't sure how but she highly suspected the Master was involved somehow.

"So they've been sinking the ships?" confirmed Jo.

"I should think so. There, I think that should do it," the Doctor said making a few final adjustments to the radio. "What's the call sign?"

"Oscar Bravo Tango Seven Four," replied Beatrice reading it off a piece of paper on the table.

"Hello, Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is Oscar Bravo Tango Seven Four. We are stranded on this fort and have a wounded man here. Can you send immediate assistance? Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Over." said the Doctor into the radio.

"Oh Doctor, you don't think you'll get through to anybody on that old lash-up, do you?" asked Jo. Suddenly a crackling voice came through the radio.

"Hello, Oscar Bravo Tango, am receiving you loud and clear. Am about to land. Over."

"It worked!" said a shocked Jo.

"Never underestimate a Timelord," said Beatrice to her friend with a smile. The sound of helicopter rotors could be heard.

"Thank you, Beatrice, If I do say so myself, I think that's a remarkably efficient piece of work."

They all hurried above decks to reach the helicopter.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After being rescued Clark had been taken to sickbay while Jo, Beatrice, and the Doctor accompanied Captain Hart back to his office.

"How can I tell the admiralty that story. Sea Devils! If only you had some proof."

"Why on earth would we lie?" asked Beatrice indignantly.

"Miss, do you really think my superiors are going to buy a story that sounds like nothing more than a fairytale?" Beatrice didn't answer. It was times like this she understood the Master's frustration with human stupidity. Humans loved to ignore what was right under their nose.

"What about the man at the station? He saw them," suggested Jo

"Maybe. According to the doctors, his ranting about Sea Devils is him being delirious."

"Captain Hart you must admit there is something odd going on?" said the Doctor.

"Even if I accept their existence what do you suggest we do?" asked Hart with a sigh.

"Try and make contact. If we move now we might be able to reach a peaceful solution," the Doctor told Hart. Hart was about to reply but was interrupted by the entrance of Trenchard. Beatrice's suspicions were immediately aroused.

"Have you got a minute, old chap? Ah, thanks very much. Want a word with you about the golf tournament. Good heavens!"

"Colonel Trenchard." said the Doctor bluntly. 

"Doctor. Miss Grant. Miss Rosenfield. Thought you two left the island yesterday." 

"Well, we didn't quite manage to get away," said Jo sweetly.

"Taking a look round the island? Charming spot, isn't it?" 

"You came all the way from the prison just to talk about golf?" asked Beatrice pointedly from her spot with Jo by the window. Seemingly unable to find an answer Trenchard ignored her.

"Er, sorry to bother you, John, old man, but it's about the weekend. We are rather relying on you, you know," he told Hart.

"Of course I'll do my best, but if we get a bit of a flap on, then," said Hart distractedly.

"That's just what I was thinking, so perhaps it would be as well if I arranged to have a reserve standing by."

"Yes, life is rather full at the moment, George."

"Exactly! So as I was passing, I just thought, old John's going to pretty tied up with all these ship's sinking. Is it fair to ask him to play golf in the middle of something like this? So I said to myself, What I'll do is I'll just drop by and sound him out. You see, time's getting short and I've got to get cracking."

Beatrice tuned out most of the rest of what Trenchard was blathering on about and continued looking out the window.

"I'll let you know if I can't make it," said Hart impatiently.

"Oh very well, very nice seeing you all," Trenchard said as he finally left.

"If that wasn't suspicious I don't know what is," said Beatrice. Hart looked like he was about to object to what Beatrice said but was cut off by Jo.

"Look!" Beatrice looked down and to her shock saw the Master wearing a naval uniform. 

"Doctor it's the Master!" Beatrice said turning to the Doctor who hurried over however when they looked down again the Master had disappeared.

"Captain Hart, I suggest that you order a full security alert immediately." said the Doctor sharply.

"Would you mind telling me what this is all about?" asked Hart.

"My assistants have just seen a very dangerous criminal on your base."

"Doctor, I've been very patient with you, but if I thought..." Suddenly Captain Hart's secretary came in.

"Sir, someone's been found unconscious in the sonar stores." Beatrice resisted the urge to say I told you so.

"Come on, let's go!" said the Doctor and they all rushed out of the office.

Authors Note: Well, there's part two of Sea Devils. Please let me know if you are enjoying this. I really need feedback so please like and comment. We should get more Master/Beatrice in the next chapter. If you have any thoughts on the chemistry between the character's I'd love to hear it. Thanks very much for reading!


	14. The Sea Devils Part 3

Unsurprisingly upon searching the area where the unconscious man had been found and getting a description from him of the man who attacked him, it was clear the thief of the sonar equipment had been the Master.

Consequently, Jo, Beatrice, and the Doctor all drove back to prison in order to interrogate Trenchard about his missing prisoner. After showing their passes they headed up to Trenchard's office. Not even bothering to knock they entered to find Trenchard practising his golfing skills.

"Doctor! What a surprise. Whatever are you doing here?" 

"We have reason to believe your prisoner has escaped," replied the Doctor.

"Nonsense," said Trenchard. He turned on the surveillance TV which showed the Master in his cell reading a book.

"He may be here now but half an hour ago he was at the Naval Base," said Jo.

"Right around the same time as you," added Beatrice.

"I'll tell you what. I'll go and check with the guards myself," offered Trenchard. Beatrice scoffed.

"Yes, you go do that." Trenchard glared at her and left.

"Jo, Beatrice, I want you to go back to the Naval base and contact UNIT. Tell them Trenchard and the guards need to be replaced immediately.

"You got it," said Beatrice and she and Jo headed out. One of the guards was holding the car keys. As they approached he put them in his pocket.

"The keys! We need to go to the Naval Base," said Jo in surprise.

"Sorry Miss, can't do that," said the guard. He turned to his colleague and said, "Take them back inside." As the two guards approached them Jo elbowed the one with the keys in the stomach while Beatrice kicked the one moving towards he in the crotch. He doubled over and she and Jo ran for it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master had been slightly annoyed to find out from Trenchard that the Doctor was now onto him but he had to admit this would make things more interesting.

The Doctor entered the Master's cell with a look on his face that seemed to be a mix of grim and annoyed.

"Why Doctor, you did come for a chat." The Master said with false cheerfulness.

"Been out for a little jaunt have you?" asked the Doctor. The Master faked a look of innocence.

"I don't know what you are talking about I haven't left this cell. You can ask Trenchard."

"Beatrice and Jo saw you at the Naval Base." The Master raised an eyebrow. Thinking back he did recall noticing a flash of red hair in one of the upper windows.

"Perhaps they were imagining it," he suggested.

"I doubt it. I suppose you have a hold over Trenchard." The Master smirk and pulled out a gun which he had hidden under a newspaper.

"I see I'll have to tell you everything."

"Goodbye!" said the Doctor stepping out the door and slamming it. The Master opened it and stood in the doorway only to have the Doctor kick the gun out of his hand. The Master immediately grabbed a foil from the wall while the Doctor did likewise.

He and the Doctor immediately began to dual, their foils making a clashing sound each time they touched. The Master managed to push the Doctor back into the cell and they continued their fight until the Doctor managed to disarm him. With the point of his sword on the Master's chest, the Doctor reached over and picked up a sandwich from the nearby table. 

"I always find violent exercise makes me rather hungry," the Doctor said casually. 

"Then you had better enjoy your meal for it might be your last," snarled the Master.

"You think so?" asked the Doctor before tossing the Master's foil back to him so they could continue their dual. The Master managed to back the Doctor into a chair.

"You're good Doctor but not good enough," he said through gritted teeth.

"You haven't seen the quality of my footwork," replied the Doctor kicking the Master in the chest and causing him to fall backwards over a table. The Doctor leaned on the table and shook his head.

"What did I tell you. Violence never solves anything." The Doctor turned his back for a moment and the Master used the opportunity to throw a knife at him. It embedded itself in the wall inches from the Doctor's face. Suddenly, Trenchard entered.

"What the devil is going on here?" he asked.

"I was defending myself from this man," said the Master quickly.

"Only a fool would believe such an accusation. Though I suppose it applies in your case," scoffed the Doctor.

"Don't speak to me like that. I shall have a full enquiry into the whole thing. Meanwhile, consider yourself under arrest. Take him to my office immediately." said Trenchard.

"If you must continue with this ridiculous charade. Only take care not to lose him this time, won't you?" sighed the Doctor as he left with one of the guards and Trenchard.

The Master changed into his usual black outfit and began to work on the machine to contact the Sea Devils. After a while, Trenchard returned.

"I have the Doctor under lock and key. What are you going to do, kill him? I warn you..." Began Trenchard

"I told you. I was defending myself. The point is, what are you going to do about it?" asked the Master.

"This whole thing's getting out of hand. I just don't know," said Trenchard in an agitated tone. The Master sighed. One had to do everything themselves if they wanted something done.

"Well then, I'll tell you. Keep the Doctor here a prisoner. You have no alternative. By the way, are those two women with him?" Trenchard coughed awkwardly.

"I say that's an interesting machine you have over there." The Master glared at him.

"What happened?"

"They uh... they got away. I ordered the guards to arrest them but it seems the girls overpowered them and ran for it." The Master closed his eyes for a moment trying to maintain his patience with this idiot. At Master's annoyed look Trenchard hurried on.

"But they can't have gone far and there isn't much to be worried about they didn't look like much." 

"They overpowered two of your armed guards. I doubt that qualifies and not much. We need to work quickly from now on. I'll see the Doctor now. The Master and Trenchard walked to the cell that contained the Doctor who was handcuffed to a chair.

"Ah, Doctor. Good of you to spare me a few moments." said the Master.

"I hadn't really anything better to do." replied the Doctor sarcastically.

"Yes, time does hang heavy when one is a prisoner."

"Right, I'll leave you to have your little chat. There will be a guard outside at all times," said Trenchard before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

"No doubt, Doctor, you're wondering why I came here?"

"Your usual childish desire to gloat, perhaps?" the Master ignored the insult.

"How much have you told UNIT?"

"Everything. I sent them a full report as soon as Jo and Beatrice spotted you at the naval base."

"And yet you came back here to investigate in person. Interesting. You know, I wonder whether you're telling me the truth." The Master doubted it he could usually tell when the Doctor was lying.

"Well, you'll find out soon enough." said the Doctor defiantly. 

"You realise, of course, that I could kill you here and now?" said the Master threateningly. 

"And how would you explain that away to Colonel Trenchard? I'm hardly in a position to attack you, now am I?" The Master scoffed at this.

"Do you really think I care what Trenchard thinks?"

"Whatever you're up to, you still need Trenchard's cooperation. You're still a prisoner here, you know." 

"My dear Doctor, I can walk out of here any time I choose." said the Master with a smirk. 

"Then why don't you?" asked the Doctor a challenge evident in his voice.

"Because this place makes a good base for my operations. You see, I'm planning to contact our reptilian friends."

"How do you know about them?" The Master shrugged casually at the question.

"Oh, from the Time Lord's files."

"More stolen information?"

"Naturally."

"Well, why do you want to contact them?" 

"Those reptiles, Doctor, were once the rulers of this Earth. And with my help, they can be so again."

"I still don't see why you want to help them. What can you possibly gain?" said the Doctor tilting his head in confusion.

"The pleasure of seeing the human race exterminated, Doctor. The human race of which you are so fond. Believe me, that'll be a reward in itself." The Doctor was about to reply but Trenchard came in.

"I have to talk to you," he said. The Master sighed.

"Until the next time Doctor," he said before leaving to speak with Trenchard. They waited until they were near Trenchard's office and out of range of the Doctor's hearing before speaking.

"What?"

"Captain Hart's car has been spotted heading for the main gate. He must have guessed something's up. What am I to do?" The Master groaned internally at Trenchards inability to think for himself. It was useful at times but also rather troublesome.

"Use your intelligence, Trenchard. Bluff him."

"Oh the lies I've told this is for the greater good isn't it," asked Trenchard.

"Of course, now if you will excuse me I'll head back to my cell." 

The Master began heading back downstairs as he passed the cell the Doctor was held in he noticed it was slightly ajar. He rushed inside to find the guard unconscious and the manacles that had held the Doctor on the ground. The Master growled in frustration. 

He examined the cell for any hint of where the Doctor went. Soon Trenchard entered. 

"What happened here?"

"It seems that the Doctor's assistants succeeded in freeing him."

"This is appalling! It could ruin everything!" said Trenchard in panic.

"That's exactly why we have to find them!" said the Master angrily. Trenchard immediately ran back in the direction of his office while the Master headed back to his cell to grab the machine he had been working on. Things were not going quite according to plan but he had no intention of panicking.

After getting the machine he headed to Trenchard's office and opened the door just as Trenchard set down the telephone.

"They're heading towards the beach where the minefield is." 

"Excellent, we'll be able to catch them and test the device." The Master said. He and Trenchard quickly made their way out of the prison and towards the cliffs below which was the beach with the minefield. Soon they could see the Doctor and his companions. 

Suddenly he saw Beatrice trip and fall. She seemed to be having trouble getting up. He heard her shout at the Doctor and Miss Grant to run. While Miss Grant appeared reluctant to go the Doctor and she quickly made their way down a rope to the beech below.

The Master and Trenchard soon caught up with Beatrice. Trenchard grabbed her and to her credit, Beatrice put up a bit of a fight.

"I wouldn't struggle, my dear," he told her. "Trust me you don't want to be down there anyway." Reaching the top of the cliff the Master flipped a switch on the machine that immediately began sending out a frequency to contact the Sea Devils.

Almost as soon as he flipped the machine on the Sea Devils began to walk out of the water. They were green in colour and walked on two legs although they had the head and scales of a fish. The Doctor and Miss Grant were trapped between the minefield and the Sea Devils.

"Anthropomorphic fish that destroy boats. Fantastic," said Beatrice in a dry tone.

"I thought you said they were enemy agents," said Trenchard in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"Would you have believed me if I had?" asked the Master.

"They're going straight into the minefield!" said Beatrice surprise and worry both evident in her tone. The Sea Devils began to follow the Doctor and Miss Grant but were driven back by the explosions the Doctor had set off using his sonic screwdriver. The creatures let out a screech and after two more mines had been set off they retreated.

"Well, thank God for the sonic screwdriver," said Beatrice. The Master was rather annoyed that the Doctor had escaped. It was going to make things much more complicated. He shut off the machine and turned his attention to Beatrice.

"They may be safe for now but my plan is far from over," he told her.

"Of course," she said giving him a look of resignation. As she shifted her weight the Master noticed her wince. He also saw that her stumble on the hill had led to her getting a cut on her hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked genuinely concerned about her. He took out a handkerchief and gently tied it around her bleeding hand. 

"I think I might have twisted my ankle slightly but nothing I can't walk off, and then obviously the hand." The Master took her arm so she could lean on him slightly. The ankle didn't seem too badly damaged as she could still walk. Meanwhile, Trenchard picked up the machine.

"Let's get back to the prison. We can clean your hand and I can make some adjustments to the machine. Trenchard don't drop that machine," he said and they made their way back down the hill.

Author's Note: Hope you all like this. Who else thought that swordfight in the episode was AWESOME? I'm still waiting to get some comments so if you guys could just take a moment to leave some feedback or thoughts I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks for reading and I will update soon.


	15. The Sea Devils part 4

They returned to the prison and Beatrice and the Master made their way back to his cell. After directing her towards a chair the Master went to get the first aid kit. He soon returned and pulled a second chair towards hers.

"Thank you," Beatrice said as she gave him a small smile. He found he rather enjoyed it when she smiled.

"Your welcome my dear. I'm sorry you were injured," he said as he cleaned her hand with a warm washcloth. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. He briefly recalled when she had tended to him after the Morok incident. It seemed now their positions were reversed.

"It's fine. No permanent harm was done," she told him. "How are you controlling Trenchard so well? It doesn't appear to be hypnosis." The Master now began to bandage the cut, wrapping some gauze around her hand.

"I'm playing to his sense of patriotism. He has been under the impression he was helping to fight enemy agents. I simply didn't mention where they were from. People are reasonably easy to manipulate if you know what motivates them." Beatrice let out a small laugh.

"You make it sound so easy," she said.

"I've had many centuries of practice my dear." said the Master. He had finished wrapping her hand and now politely kissed the back of it. Beatrice's smile widened and she took his hands in her's leaning forward slightly. 

"I don't doubt it." She glanced down at her dress which didn't look too much the worse for wear. "Good thing I took a leaf out of your book and wore black. It won't show the grass stains." the Master chuckled. Beatrice wasn't an overly materialistic person but her random comments on things such as her outfit could be rather amusing with how out of place they were.

"Yes the black looks quite nice on you," he told her. He was pleased to see her blush slightly. It also wasn't an empty compliment as she did look rather nice in the black outfit. A change from her normally more colourful wardrobe choices. 

"Thank you," she replied. He smiled at her slightly before standing up and moving to work on the machine. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice watched as the Master walked over to work on the frequency machine. The Sea Devils hadn't totally surprised her as she had seen one on the solar station with the Doctor and Jo.

As for being captured. Well, it was ironically more of an inconvenience than anything else considering who her captor technically was. She didn't think many other kidnappers would tend to their hostage's wound and then leave them completely unrestrained. 

However, if she was going to be here perhaps she could distract him from making the adjustments to buy some time for the Doctor. The question was how to do it. Then a thought hit her.

"The Doctor knows about us," she told him. Like she had hoped the Master paused turning around and leaned against the table.

"When did this happen?" he asked. He didn't seem mad merely curious.

"About a week ago the Doctor took me for a ride in Bessie and told me he knew that you and I are together. Startled the heck out of me." 

"How did he figure it out?" 

"He told me that while the two of you may no longer be as close as you once were, he can still read you well and he noticed our mutual attraction through various little things like the fact that you always went out of your way not to hurt me."

"I see. I assume by the fact that UNIT hasn't fired you that he doesn't intend to reveal us?" the Master said. Beatrice stood and walked over to the Master so they were inches apart.

"No, he won't. There's no condition. He plans to let things run their course. He knows I'm doing this of my own volition and I told him I wouldn't leave you even if he did threaten to tell UNIT." The Master reached up and tenderly caressed her cheek with his gloved hand. Her heart sped up a little. 

"That was a rather big risk to take," he said quietly.

"I meant it. I think the Doctor just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing," she said putting her arms around his neck while he placed one hand on her waist and the other cupping the back of her neck.

"And do you?" he asked looking directly in her eyes seemingly searching for the truth.

"Absolutely," she whispered. At her words, the Master leaned down and kissed her passionately. Beatrice closed her eyes enjoying the moment. When they finally broke the kiss Beatrice leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him. She could smell the scent of expensive cigars and something else she couldn't describe, that perpetually seemed to be on him.

"We're playing with fire," he murmured in her ear. 

"Sometimes playing with fire is worth getting burned," she replied softly. The Master didn't answer but held her close. They stayed like that for a while taking comfort in each other's presence.

"Thank you, Beatrice," said the Master as they finally pulled apart.

"What for?" she asked not entirely sure what he was thanking her for.

"For simply being you and for taking the risks you do." The delivery was sweet if slightly awkward. She could tell he wasn't used to genuinely thanking people so the effort made it mean all the more. The Master glanced at the clock then raised an eyebrow at Beatrice.

"Were you by any chance attempting to distract me?" he asked. He looked slightly amused.

"Well, maybe. But I assure you, everything I said was true," she said the last part rather earnestly. He gave her one of his small smiles.

"I know my dear. You may be capable of fooling UNIT and your family, but I'm afraid you're a rather poor liar when it comes to me." He gently moved her to the side so he could work on the machine. Beatrice sat on top of the table beside where he was working.

"How does it work exactly?" she asked in genuine interest.

"It sends out a frequency that only the Sea Devils can hear and summons them. It's a very specific frequency and if I'm going to somewhat control them I need to find the right one," he explained. Beatrice could tell he actually liked explaining how it worked because it gave him a chance to show off his intellect.

"I see, and how long do we have until this plan backfires on you," she said playfully.

"I do wish you would have more confidence in my schemes," said the Master with a look of mock offence.

"I'll have confidence in your plans against the Doctor when one of them actually works," replied Beatrice. Personally she wasn't entirely sure the Master really wanted his plans against the Doctor to succeed. They were always so needlessly complicated and convoluted. 

It was as if he wanted to annoy the Doctor and match wits with him but didn't care all that much if the plan worked. Especially given the calm and slightly resigned way he surrendered sometimes when UNIT actually managed to corner him. Of course, she wouldn't say this aloud as he was bound to deny it.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master finally finished the machine and turned it on. Beatrice watched as he did so. There wasn't much she could do to stop him. He would stop her before she could destroy it. She only hoped that she had bought the Doctor and Jo some time.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now we wait. Preferably in the safety of this room," answered the Master.

Soon enough fighting could be heard in the hallway. Beatrice felt slightly guilty that she couldn't come up with a way to stop it and hoped not too many people got hurt. Shots were heard and she took an involuntary step closer to the Master. Finally, the firing ceased.

They stepped out into the hallway and found quite a few body's laying on the ground including Trenchard. Beatrice put her hand to her mouth. 

"They're all dead," she said.

"It seems that way. Although if it makes you feel any better because this prison only held one person and I had Trenchard under my control, there weren't too many guards to get killed." Beatrice could tell that the Master didn't really care about the guard's lives and was merely informing her off this to make her feel less guilty. She sighed.

"So what do we do next?" she asked.

"You are going to leave, I will escort you closer to the entrance so the creatures don't mistake you for an enemy, then you are going to leave here," he told her.

"What are you going to do?" 

"I will soon be leaving this place and I don't really want to take you with me as it would complicate matters. Besides, there really isn't any point in keeping you hostage at this point. It's nothing against you personally," he added.

"Well, I don't fancy going underwater all that much so I think we are in agreement," she replied with a nod. Once they reached the entrance she took his hands in hers and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I won't say good luck because I really don't want this plan to succeed but I will say stay safe. I still think you are meddling with forces beyond your control as usual."

"We'll see," replied the Master. Beatrice shrugged and got in the car she Jo and the Doctor had arrived in after their trip to the naval base.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

By the time she arrived at the naval base, Beatrice was slightly cursing the long distance between the prison and the naval base over land. Fortunately, the guards recognized her from her early trip and let her pass.

Parking the car she hurried up to Captain Hart's office. Not bothering to knock she entered to find an unfamiliar man behind Hart's desk arguing with the Captain. Jo was standing by the window and upon seeing Beatrice rushed to hug her friend.

"Beatrice! I thought the Master had caught you," she said.

"He did, lucky for me he was a little preoccupied with his fish friends and I was able to sneak away," Beatrice invented. Jo bought the lie.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" asked the man behind the desk.

"Beatrice Rosenfield UNIT agent and assistant to the Doctor. And you are?"

"Walker, Parliamentary Private Secretary," he replied.

"This man just ordered missiles to be fired at the craft the Doctor went to in order to negotiate peace with the Sea Devils." Beatrice glared at Walker.

"Well, you sir are a complete idiot. I highly doubt you sunk the vessel in which case you only pissed the creatures off!"

"I won't be spoken to that way," blustered Walker. "Some sacrifices have to be made in war."

"You don't think it was destroyed?" asked Jo.

"With the Doctor's track record for survival I have faith he'll pop up soon," said Beatrice. 

Suddenly the door to the office opened and the Doctor entered.

"Well, I wasn't expecting it to happen that fast," said Beatrice, surprised by the timing. The Doctor hugged Jo before turning to glare at Captain Hart.

"Captain Hart, what idiot ordered an all-out attack just as I was on the verge of finding a peaceful solution?"

"This moron," said Beatrice pointing at Walker. The Doctor shifted his glare onto the man behind the desk.

'You ordered the attack?" asked the Doctor

"I did," replied a defiant Walker.

"Did you give any thought at all, sir, as to what you were doing?" 

"Probably not," said Beatrice in an annoyed tone. This man reminded here of the irritating Mr Chin from the Axon incident.

"Our duty is to destroy the Queen's enemies. Don't you know your national anthem? Confound their politics, frustrate their knavish tricks."

"That, sir, is an extremely insular point of view. At the precise moment of the attack, I was negotiating peace." Beatrice resisted the urge to insert a well-deserved I told you so.

"Peace? Huh. What, when they've been attacking our shipping and heaven alone knows what? I think you've got it all wrong, old man. Seek and destroy. That's what you chaps say, isn't it?"

"But the point, Mister Parliamentary Private Secretary, is that you have not destroyed. You have just made them angry. Very, very angry!" 

"I'm going to get on to the Minister, and I'm going to ask him to seek approval for an immediate attack with nuclear weapons."

"Oh yes, a nuclear strike! That will solve everything," said Beatrice sarcastically clapping her hands together

"But that, sir, would be tantamount to murder." The Doctor pointed out.

"Oh, come, come, Doctor. You speak as if these creatures are human. We're not going to hand over the world to a lot of lizards, you know." Walker said dismissively.

"You can share it with them, surely?" suggested the Doctor. Beatrice sighed at the Doctor's optimism. Humans, in general, could be a rather selfish race even occasionally including herself. Besides, the Sea Devils were sentient. The Doctor was right it would be murder.

"Oh, come. Really, Doctor..." began Walker.

"Look, let me make one final attempt to negotiate," asked the Doctor.

"Well, you didn't get very far last time, did you?"

"Only because you screwed it up," said Beatrice.

"I won't be told off by a woman dressed like Wednesday Addams," replied Walker. Beatrice rolled her eyes at the comment about her dress. Clearly he was resorting to insulting her outfit, which was admittedly rather similar, since he couldn't come up with a valid argument. 

"Just you think of it, sir. Think of it. Wouldn't you like to be the man behind a peaceful settlement? Walker the peacemaker, they'd call you. Or would you prefer to be known as the man responsible for launching a full-scale war!" Beatrice was impressed by the Doctor playing to Walker's ego. Walker seemed to consider it.

"You'd be willing to undertake the preliminary negotiations yourself?"

"Just leave it to me," assured the Doctor. Jo looked extremely concerned.

"Doctor, you're not thinking of going down there again?" 

"Jo, it's the only way," said the Doctor placing a hand on her shoulder.

"But, Doctor, it's far too dangerous!"

"Don't you understand, Jo? I've got to go down there of my own free will as a gesture of good faith. Captain Hart, is that diving vessel still alongside?" While Beatrice was worried about whatever reaction the Sea Devils would have to the Doctor she could see the Doctor's point.

"Yes," replied Hart.

"Then I have to go now," said the Doctor. Jo, Beatrice, Walker, and Captain Hart all walked out of the office. Beatrice only hoped they were in time to still be able to do something.

They were all shocked when upon exiting the building they found themselves face to face with several Sea Devils.

Author's Note: One more chapter in this section of the story to go. I have condensed quite a bit of the episode and all borrowed dialogue belongs to the BBC. I also noticed I had the Master calling them Sea Devils instead of their proper name but as I couldn't find the correct name for them (They are apparently related to Surilians) I had to go with what the episode calls them. Also, I sort of was trying to imply with the dress comment that it is a bit of a reflection of the Master's usual outfit with everything being totally black except for white on the cuffs and in her case also on the collar. I hope you are enjoying the story. Please like and COMMENT. Thanks for reading!


	16. The Sea Devils Part 5

"Crap," was the first word out of Beatrice's mouth.

The Sea Devils made their way towards them. The Doctor ran at one of them and disarmed it and throwing the creature into a wall. A second came at him and he punched it in the gut causing it to double over. The Doctor turned to Captain Hart.

"Get those three out of here!" Suddenly a reptile came up being him.

"Look out!" cried Jo and Beatrice. But the Doctor wasn't quick enough. One of the creatures put pressure on a spot at the back of the Doctor's neck and he fell unconscious. The Sea Devil raised a disk that Beatrice assumed acted as a gun. A voice stopped it.

"No! Don't kill him. We can take him inside." Beatrice had been so preoccupied with the Sea Devils she hadn't noticed the Master come around the corner. The Master looked at Beatrice and the others. 

"Get him inside," he said. Jo and Captain Hart helped carry the Doctor inside while Beatrice held the door open. Once inside the Doctor, fortunately, woke, two of the Sea Devils grabbed him to stop him escaping.

"You never learn do you Doctor?" said the Master smugly after directing Beatrice, Jo, Hart, and Walker into a spare radio room at gunpoint. 

"Neither do you," interjected Beatrice as she went inside. To her pleasure she this got a rather irritated look from the Master before he locked the door. She was rather annoyed with him though it was about the same level of annoyance as she usually felt towards his schemes. Beatrice pressed her ear to the door.

"Shall we take our discussion upstairs?" came the Master's voice.

"I doubt you're giving me much of a choice," replied the Doctor tersely. "But the others aren't to be harmed." 

"You have my word Doctor." Beatrice heard their footsteps departing and moved away from the door to help look for an escape route. 

"This is monstrous! What are you going to do about it, Captain Hart?" said Walker in a panicked voice. 

"Maybe if you hadn't ATTACKED them, we wouldn't be in this mess," said Beatrice with a glare.

"Captain Hart, what about this? suggested Jo pointing to a ventilation shaft

"Yes, we should be able to open it. But I could never get through there," replied Hart.

"No, but Beatrice and I could." Beatrice, Jo, and Hart quickly began clearing off a table.

"What, what are you doing?" asked Walker, clearly not catching on to the plan. Dimwit, she thought.

"We are going to put this table underneath that ventilation hatch and try to open it," explained Hart.

"Yes, but supposing you get caught? They might take reprisals against the innocent!"

"Oh do shut up! This is partially your fault so if you won't be helpful keep quiet," Beatrice said in an irritated tone as Hart climbed onto the table with a screwdriver and began opening the hatch to the shaft.

"Don't you think we ought to leave these things to the Doctor?" said Walker ignoring Beatrice.

"Shush!" said Jo. They finally got the hatch open. Jo and Beatrice hoisted themselves up into the shaft. Beatrice had to admit a dress was not the best choice of attire for this sort of work.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master was exceptionally pleased with how the plan was working. He had been worried when the Doctor originally managed to convince the Sea Devils to try for peace and was therefore glad one of those idiot human officers had ordered an attack. It was the perfect chance to incite conflict.

After the successful invasion of the base, he had managed to capture the Doctor. Now all that remained was to gain the Doctor's assistance. As for Beatrice, at least she was safely locked away in the radio room. He hoped.

"So what's your plan now?" asked the Doctor scornfully.

"As you know, our friends here have underground and underwater bases all over the world. Well, I propose to reactivate them."

"You haven't reactivated them yet, have you?"

"Er, not yet, no. But I can, with your help." The Master said, not pleased at the fact that he had to request the Doctor's help.

"I wondered why I was still alive." The Doctor said dryly.

"I advise you not to give me any trouble, Doctor. Not if you value the life of every man on this base." warned the Master. 

"I wouldn't dream of it," muttered the Doctor as they went to one of the storerooms.

"Now then, Doctor, my problem is this. During millions of years of hibernation, the reactivation machinery has deteriorated. I now find it necessary to build a trigger mechanism for it." 

"And how do you hope to do that?" asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow.

"Well, by constructing a sonar device analogous to the laser. With this, I can not only pinpoint and revive the base by the sea fort but every other base in the world."

"And you've convinced your reptilian friends that this will work?" The Doctor sounded sceptical.

"You know it'll work, with your cooperation. All the equipment we need is here."

"Hmm. Yes, I suppose it's possible."

"I've drawn up some preliminary plans here," said the Master spreading out a rolled-up diagram.

"Good grief! What on Earth do you think you're doing?" exclaimed the Doctor. The Master shot him an annoyed look. 

"Why? What is the matter?" 

"Well, this circuit here, it's completely misplaced. And also you'll need far more power through to your main dipode. Give me a pencil, will you?" The Master did so.

"Thank you." said the Doctor.

"And you think you can correct this fault?"

"Yes, I think so, given time. Now then, let's see," the Doctor told him with a nod of his head.

They began to work on the device. He was briefly reminded of their schooldays and working on projects with the Doctor at the academy. They had always made a good team when they were younger. It was a shame the Doctor never accepted the Master's offers to join him in ruling the universe. 

He went to get a part leaving the Doctor alone for a moment. When he returned the Doctor was still there. Making one final adjustment the Doctor turned to look at him.

"How about a little test? Right, here goes." the Doctor flipped a switch and a piercing sound emanated from the machine. Out the window, the Master could see the Sea Devils clutching their heads.

"Switch the power off!" said the Master pulling the plug out of the wall cutting off the noise. 

"What happened?" he demanded

"I must have had the frequency too high. I'm sorry about that. Oh, no, I see what it is. I had the output jack in the input socket. There. Yeah, there that should work all right now." The Master suspected that the Doctor was lying and for some reason had set that noise off on purpose but didn't mention it. Instead saying,

"We shan't know for sure till we get it back to their base and build it into their power system."

"We?" questioned the Doctor.

"Yes, Doctor. You're coming with me."

"Oh, I see." one of the Sea Devils entered."

"This noise, what has been happening?" it asked in a rasping voice.

"Teething troubles, that's all." said the Master quickly.

"It must not happen again. Is the work completed?"

"Yes, I've now finished."

"Then we shall return to our base. Do you want him killed now?" asked the Sea Devil.

"No. He might yet prove useful. Well, Doctor? Shall we go?"

"If you insist." the Doctor told him unenthusiastically." Suddenly the door opened again. A soldier stepped in and shot the Sea Devil. 

"Is one of you the Doctor?" asked the man.

"Yes, and this man is a very dangerous criminal," the Doctor said to the man pointing at the Master who resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"We've taken back the base," said the human.

"Good, guard him carefully, I have to go speak with Captain Hart." The Doctor said before leaving. The guard pointed his gun at the Master who raised his hands in surrender. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Escaping had been ridiculously easy. The Doctor had neglected to mention the Master's skill with hypnosis. The guard had fortunately been weak-minded enough that the Master hardly had to try to get him to obey. 

The speedboat chase with the Doctor had been a bit of an inconvenience but it did allow the Master to trick the Doctor into coming with him back to the Sea Devil's base. The look on the Doctor's face as six of the reptilian creatures came towards them was most amusing.

These were the Master's thoughts as he and the Doctor installed the machine to trigger the hibernation pods and wake up the other Sea Devils.

"We want revenge on the human species. Many of my people have been killed." rasped the leader of the Sea Devils. The Master walked over to it.

"It was a necessary sacrifice."

"You said that humanity was weak," accused the Sea Devil.

"So it is."

"I think Beatrice might disagree," the Master heard the Doctor mutter. He shot his former friend a glare recalling for a moment the fact that the Doctor was aware of what was going on between him and Beatrice. The Doctor turned to the Sea Devil.

"Don't listen to him. Why begin a long and bloody war where thousands will be killed on both sides?"

"We shall destroy man and reclaim the planet." Replied the Sea Devil. "Is the machine ready?"

"It is," confirmed the Master.

"Then activate it." The Master did so.

"Take them both to the cages." Order the Sea Devil leader. This shocked the Master as it was not part of his original plan.

"What's the meaning of this? I'm your ally!"

"Both, I say! Take them!"

"I helped you! I helped you!" Protested the Master as he and the Doctor were taken away.

"You seem to be losing your touch," said the Doctor once they were locked in a cell.

"Once they see that the device works properly, they'll release me," said the Master trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"I very much doubt it. You see, before you reactivated it, I reversed the polarity of the neutron flow." the Doctor said looking smug. The master was surprised at the Doctor's foolhardy action. 

"You did what? You realise what will happen?" he said sharply.

"Oh, yes. Do you?" said the Doctor calmly.

"Well, there'll be a massive reverse feedback into their whole power system."

"Exactly. In about ten minutes from now the whole place should go up. Enjoy your revenge." The Master wanted to slap that self-satisfied look off the Doctor's face but was more concerned with his own survival. 

"We'll both be killed," he said to the still unconcerned Doctor.

"That's right. Unless we can both escape." suggested the Doctor. 

"Very well, what do you suggest?" asked the Master grudgingly.

"There should be some sort of escape equipment," said the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to open the cell door. The Doctor was proven correct when after briefly looking around they found submarine escape equipment. 

"Now all we need to do is find the airlock," said the Master.

"Precisely," the Doctor replied as he handed some equipment to the Master who put it on though not before checking he had the keys Beatrice had given him back at the prison.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"You are mad! A nuclear strike is an awful idea! " protested Beatrice as she glared at Walker who gave her a scornful look.

"I doubt you know anything about proper military tactics. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Besides, last time I checked you weren't inside."

"And last time I checked you were cowering in a corner when you had to deal with those creatures. You aren't brave. You're a coward hiding behind a position of power and a bunch of weapons!" Beatrice told him as she slammed her hand down on the desk causing the glass of wine Walker had ordered be brought to tip and spill over the plate of salmon he was eating.

"I would advise you keep quiet Miss unless you want to be escorted out of here," threatened Walker, clearly mad about his ruined lunch. Beatrice threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and walked over to the radio room just off the office where Jo and Hart were.

"Suppose the Doctor manages to escape from that place?" suggested Jo fearfully.

"Not much chance, I'm afraid," Hart said in a resigned tone.

"Yes, but just suppose?" Hart turned to one of the men at the radio station.

"Get a high-speed hovercraft over that area. I want a complete sweep before the attack."

"Aye, aye, sir," said the man.

"Let's hope we find him," said Beatrice feeling very worried about both the Doctor and the Master. Though she would not voice her thoughts about the latter out loud.

They hadn't been waiting long when the man at the radio exclaimed,

"Large underwater explosion reported, sir."

"What? Has the attack started already?" asked Walker as he entered the room.

"No, sir, before the attack. And they've picked up two survivors. One of them was in a bad way. They've radioed for an ambulance to stand by."

"Did they, did they say who?" said Jo as fear clouded her face. 

"No, Miss."

"It'll be fine," Beatrice reassured her friend. "Let's go meet them," she suggested. Jo nodded and She and Beatrice, followed by Captain Hart hurried out to the beach.

As they reached it they saw a hovercraft coming in. As it reached the beach the Doctor stepped out. Jo ran to him and hugged him. Fear filled Beatrice though she tried not to let her face show it. If the Doctor was fine that meant the man who collapsed was the Master. 

Her fears were confirmed as a figure on a stretcher was brought out. It took all Beatrice's will-power to stop herself from running towards it. The stretcher reached them and Beatrice noticed something was off about the Master. 

It was his face but the build of his body didn't seem right and he was muttering. The Doctor seemed to have noticed this as well. He reached down and pulled a mask off the body revealing a random soldier, muttering the words,

"I must obey." Beatrice looked at the hovercraft which was pulling out. The Master could be seen inside steering it as it left.

"Well, I suppose he got away," she tried to sound disappointed but in truth was relieved that the Master was alright.

"I suppose so," said the Doctor slightly grudgingly as they watched him go.

Author's Note: That's the end of Sea Devils! I hope enjoyed it. I don't own the dialogue borrowed from the script of the episode or the plot. I only own Beatrice. I will try and update again soon. PLEASE like and COMMENT. I really need feedback so if you can take just a few minutes to leave your thoughts I would appreciate it. Thanks so much for reading and I hope to hear your thoughts soon!


	17. Music and Memories

It took a while to clear everything up at the Naval Base, so it was getting dark by the time they got back to UNIT HQ. The Brigadier, while pleased that another plan of the Master's had been foiled, was not happy about the amount of paperwork covering up the Sea Devils incident would take. He was also annoyed that the Master had escaped.

After giving him a rundown of what had happened both at the prison and the Naval Base Jo and Beatrice were given permission to leave. Beatrice was very pleased when she finally reached her street. It had been a long day.

She sighed as she got out of her car and began walking the short distance to her apartment. Opening the door, she removed her coat and walked into her small living room. Sitting on her couch casually reading a book was a very familiar man.

"Master!" she said in surprise. 

"Hello, Beatrice. I was just having a look at your book collection. Quite impressive by all accounts." He said as he stood up and walked over to Beatrice. Beatrice smacked his arm looking slightly cross. 

"Good God! You nearly scared me to death when I saw the body on the stretcher. Ironically you faking a heart attack nearly gave me a real one!"

"My, aren't we feeling violent today." Beatrice sighed and sat down on the sofa. 

"You just scared me, that's all." The Master joined her on the couch.

"My apologies my dear." Beatrice leaned her head on his shoulder and he placed his arm around her.

"Apology accepted. I suppose what matters is that you've once again escaped capture."

"You realize how ironic that statement is coming from a UNIT agent."

"Last I checked everything about our relationship is rather ironic," Beatrice said with a small smile. 

"Indeed," agreed the Master. 

"You know I told you this whole Sea Devils thing was going to backfire on you." She said tilting her head to look up at him. 

"So, you did. Although you must admit part of it was certainly that fool Walker's fault the Doctor did mention he sent the attack."

"Admittedly he was an idiot. Who the HELL thinks that the immediate answer to a problem like that is a nuclear missile strike?"

"Evidently him, you humans can be rather ridiculous. Present company excluded." 

"Says the timelord who posed as a cult leader and then tried to raise Satan." Shot back, Beatrice.

"Touché, my dear." Beatrice giggled.

"I don't think I'll ever get over the image of you as a vicar." 

"I can see why you would find it amusing." the Master said dryly.

"That really wasn't your most subtle disguise. Although, admittedly it was those glasses that were the real ridiculous aspect of that disguise." 

"I was going for mild-mannered." Defended the Master. Beatrice burst out laughing. The Master gave her a fond smile.

"Who do you think you are? Clark Kent? Mild-mannered is probably the LAST word I would use to describe you." 

"Really?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"You use hypnosis on people. Mild-mannered people don't do that." Beatrice told him bluntly.

"A fair point." Conceded the Master. "How would you describe me?"

"A slightly infuriating megalomaniac who is far too charming and charismatic for his own good," she replied. The Master chuckled clearly amused by her description.

"And you are an intelligent woman with a penchant for getting herself involved in dangerous situations and who is far too cheeky for her own good." 

"Well, if I weren't such a trouble magnet you and I might not have met. If I had any sense I would have escaped that facility before you got to me." 

"Then I'm thankful that you didn't," the Master told her. She leaned her head on his chest.

"So am I," Beatrice said quietly, a small smile on her lips. After a moment, she spoke again. "Would you like some tea? I doubt that made you a proper cup at that prison.

"Indeed they didn't." replied the Master and she got up moving to the kitchen.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master watched Beatrice leave the room and stood moving to look some more around her apartment. There was a record player in one corner. On top was a worn holder for a record. The cover read the title "So in Love" from Kiss Me Kate. Judging by the look of the cover the record had been played often. 

On another table sat a series of photographs that the Master assumed were of Beatrice's friends and family. He vaguely recognized two of the people in one of the photographs from the glimpses he caught in Beatrice's memories. 

"Taking a look around?" asked Beatrice who the Master had not heard re-enter. She handed him a warm mug of tea. The Master took a sip. He had to admit Beatrice was excellent when it came to tea.

"You can learn a lot about a person from the things they surround themself with. Who are the people in the pictures?" he asked. Where once he might have asked this merely to be polite he found that now he genuinely wanted to learn more about the woman who had managed to find her way into his hearts.

"The one on the far left is my mother, father, and siblings. Louisa and Collin are a few years older than me. Collin is a lawyer and my sister works at a bridal salon." The Master could see the family resemblance clearly.

"I recognize their faces from your memories," he said. "Who are the others?"

"That next one is my little niece Michelle. Collin's daughter. One year old and already getting into mischief."

"She must take after her Aunt," commented the Master. 

"Collin and Louisa said something similar." Beatrice tilted her head towards the final picture. "That last one is from my graduation. I hated that red it clashed with my hair. The girl next to me is my best friend and former roommate, Samantha." The Master looked at the girl with brown hair and glasses standing arm and arm with Beatrice. Both wore red mortarboards and matching gowns. 

"She was the girl who left your apartment on the day I came to see you correct?" he asked. 

"Yes, she was the one who told me I should trust my feelings for you even if what we have won't last forever." At this, the Master placed a hand on her arm.

"It's true that our paths are someday destined to separate my dear. I can't promise we will always be together, but I can promise some part of me will always care for you." Beatrice gave him a small smile.

"Me too," she replied softly. The Master wasn't sure what to say and glanced over at the record player.

"I see you enjoy Cole Porter." Beatrice laughed.

"Oh that. I'm afraid that the hopeless romantic in me has a bit of a soft spot for him. Particularly Kiss Me, Kate. Who knew a show about two divorced actors could have one of the most romantic songs in musical history?" 

"Though I haven't seen the musical itself I am vaguely familiar with some of Porter's work. One of the Doctor's previous regenerations was a bit of a musical fan. Though the only instrument he could seem to handle was a recorder." 

"That sounds a bit like the Doctor," she paused. "Would you mind if I played it?" 

"Certainly," replied the Master. It was better than some of the ridiculous tunes the Doctor's second incarnation had come up with. Or the abysmal attempts at music the Doctor had made during their time at the Academy. The Master had been subject to the Doctor's musical talents, or lack thereof, more often than he would like.

The record began to play and the Master set down his mug. Holding out his hand out to Beatrice.

"May I have this dance?" Beatrice gave a mock curtsy. 

"Certainly," she said taking his hand. The Master was reminded of that Christmas night. When he took her dancing when he first started to truly accept that he cared for this wonderful woman. They danced slowly both listening to the lyrics. 

So Taunt Me, and Hurt Me

Deceive Me, Desert Me

I'm Yours Till I Die,

So in Love, So in Love, 

So in Love with You My Love 

Am I...

Author's Note: There you go! Another chapter. Not too much happening but I thought these two deserved a bit of a rest after that crazy Sea Devils stuff. I don't own the lyrics to So in Love. It's a wonderful song by Cole Porter and I thought rather fitting for this couple. Thank you to those who have commented. As usual, I love hearing from you. I'll be glad to hear what you think of this chapter. Thanks for reading!


	18. Birthday Surprises

The Master was working on the TARDIS. He would certainly be glad to get back to the stars now that he wasn't in prison. The fact that his dear Beatrice would be joining him only improved matters.

Speaking of his companion, she should be waking up soon. The Master was a relatively early riser. Beatrice, on the other hand, was not. At least not when she had the luxury of being able to get some extra sleep. In all fairness today she had every right to sleep in considering it was her birthday.

Given that he had been around for over six hundred years, birthday's weren't really something the Master tended to observe. However, he was aware that humans put quite a bit of emphasis on them. 

The Master went to make two cups of tea in the TARDIS kitchen. By now he had memorized how she liked her tea. A dash of milk with a spoonful of sugar.

Once he had finished the Master checked his watch again and made his way back to the consul room with the two cups of tea on a tray. He didn't have to wait long as Beatrice entered the TARDIS which was still parked in her apartment.

She had evidently just gotten up as her hair was in a slightly messy braid over her shoulder and she wore a dark purple bathrobe and slippers.

"Happy Birthday my dear," he said handing her the tea. A look of surprise crossed her face as she took it.

"How did you know? I didn't mention it."

"Your birthday was listed as June 18th in your UNIT file when I checked to get your address. I simply kept the knowledge in the back of my mind."

"Well, you're right. I'm 30 years old today," she laughed. "I suppose I'm getting old."

"But no less lovely," said the Master and Beatrice blushed slightly.

"Charmer," she said in a fond tone.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked.

"Oh, Jo made me promise to go out with her and I'll probably call my family. But I'm all yours this evening."

"Excellent, I'll do some last-minute checks on the TARDIS while you are out and when you return, you can choose our destination," he told her.

"I'll try and think of somewhere. With a TARDIS there's quite a lot to choose from," she told him as she moved closer and kissed him gently. The moment was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Blast, that'll be the parents," she said in a miffed tone that the Master found rather amusing. He noticed her accent tended to show more when she was annoyed or angry.

"You'd best go and answer it," he told her. She shot him a playful smile before leaving the TARDIS. He smiled as he watched her go.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice had been surprised that the Master knew it was her birthday. Though it was her 30th she hadn't really remembered till she checked the calendar. An attack from fish people tended to drive that sort of thing out of your mind.

Beatrice picked up the phone and sure enough, it was her mother.

"Happy Birthday dear!" said her mother.

"Thanks, Mum. How are you and Dad?"

"We're both fine. Got plans for the big day?" 

"Just going out with friends." And potentially taking a trip into the past, she added in her mind.

"That sounds fantastic," said her mother. 

"Yes, unfortunately, I have to go meet a friend from work."

"Alright, have fun." Beatrice smiled at her mother's cheerful tone as she set down the phone. Beatrice then moved back to her room to get dressed. She picked out a light cream coloured top and a black button-down skirt that stopped a few inches above her knees. 

Once she was ready to go she put her hair up in a braided bun and then popped into the TARDIS.

"I'm heading out, I'll see you tonight," she said giving the Master a kiss on the cheek. He took her hand and kissed the back of it just as he had the first time they met.

"I'll see you then my dear," he replied. She had to admit he always looked more attractive when he smiled. Perhaps because she knew when he smiled at her it was genuine.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"Hi Bea!" said Jo cheerfully as Beatrice sat down across from her at the small cafe they had chosen to meet at.

"Happy Birthday! Are you excited?" Beatrice smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. Jo was like a little ball of energy sometimes.

"Yes, it's nice to have something to celebrate after dealing with alien invasions," said Beatrice.

"I suppose you're right there. There's going to be paperwork for days about the naval base incident." Jo agreed.

"Still, our lives wouldn't be nearly as exciting without those invasions," Beatrice told her friend with a laugh. Jo giggled

"That's probably true." A waitress came by and the two of them ordered. Once the waitress left Jo spoke.

"By the way, I got you a present," she said reaching into her bag and pulling out a package.

"Thank you Jo," said Beatrice with a smile as she took the brightly wrapped package and opening it. Inside was a tube of red lipstick. Beatrice checked the name on the lipstick and laughed.

"Heartbreaker. Fantastic choice Jo."

"I thought you would like it. It's the latest shade from Rimmel London." 

"Well, it's lovely. I can't wait to use it." Lipstick was one of the few types of make-up Beatrice liked to use on a regular basis.

"So, is there anyone you're interested in?" asked Jo.

"Not at the moment," replied Beatrice. Or at least nobody I can tell you about.

"I'm sure you'll find someone. Benton actually asked me out," said Jo taking a sip of her coffee.

"That's wonderful!" said Beatrice, happy for her friend. Jo took on a thoughtful look.

"You know the Master really seems to like you. I mean all those time's he kidnapped you he's never tried to hurt you. Not to mention he seemed quite worried when the War Chief captured you."

"Oh, he may be slightly fond of me, or at least slightly impressed by the fact that I'm not afraid to call him out on his BS. But I'm a human, I doubt he would ever be interested in me," Beatrice deflected.

She was slightly surprised that Jo had noticed anything between her and the Master. Then again Jo could be quite perceptive when she tried.

"No, I guess he wouldn't," Jo said. "But it's fun to imagine. Talk about a star-crossed romance."

"That's one way of putting it," Beatrice agreed. Jo didn't know how close to the truth she was.

Fortunately, their food was delivered and the topic of discussion was steered into safer waters.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Once the Master had gone through all the necessary checks on the TARDIS, which admittedly did take a few hours since the TARDIS had been inactive for over a month, he walked to his room. On the dresser was a black velvet box that contained Beatrice's birthday present.

Inside the box was a necklace on a silver chain. It was blue with Gallifreyan symbols on it and the round pendant was rimmed in delicate silver.

The Master had the necklace made for Beatrice not long before the Daemons incident. There was a certain exiled Gallifreyan jewellery maker on Castrovalva 9 who had fortunately been willing to make the necklace with no questions asked.

The Master picked a book from his bedside table. He was working his way through a collection of Mark Twain's short stories. 

The Master had to admit, humans really did have some creative ideas. At least more creative than the plots of most Gallifreyan novels. He supposed that was what happened with extremely advanced species. They so often focused on technical and academic aspects to further their society that creativity tended to take a back seat.

Returning to the consul room he began to read while he waited for Beatrice to come back.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

He heard her before he saw her. The sound of her heeled boots was unmistakable. As Beatrice walked into the TARDIS the Master stood.

"How was your day with Miss Grant?" he asked.

"Quite enjoyable. It's nice to have someone I can talk to about what goes on at work. Discussing alien invasions with her almost feels normal."

"Well, she should be used to the unusual by now after being the Doctor's assistant for so long."

"Yes, with the number of alien invasion attempts you have made, foiling those plans is practically an everyday occurrence." 

"Well, I promise no invasion attempts tonight. Where would you like to go?" he asked taking her hands. 

"How about 1920s New York? I've never been to America." 

"An excellent choice my dear. Though I might suggest a change in wardrobe. As flattering as it is you might stand out a bit." Beatrice glanced down at her outfit.

"It is very seventies. Probably not the most fitting thing for the roaring twenties." she let go of his hands and left the consul room. The Master watched her go.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Once Beatrice had found an appropriate outfit in the TARDIS wardrobe she returned to her room. The dress she had chosen was black and royal blue with beading and fringe on it. She had also found a pair of long black opera gloves and feathered headpiece to go with it.

Just as she was applying the new shade of lipstick that she had gotten from Jo there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called. The Master entered. He was now wearing a perfectly tailored dark grey suit with a dark blue tie and matching pocket square. 

"You look absolutely ravishing my dear," he said. Beatrice did a small spin.

"I must say the twenties had excellent style. You look even more devilishly handsome than usual." The Master came to stand behind her.

"Before we go, I have a gift for you. Close your eyes" He said.

"This isn't going to blow up is it?" She asked somewhat sarcastically but closed her eyes all the same. The Master chuckled.

"No, my dear. I assure you this gift is completely explosion free." She felt the Master clip something around her neck. She smiled.

"Can you blame me given your track record? I read about that bomb you had sent to UNIT." She pointed out.

"That was UNIT, this is you. Alright, you can open them." He said.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed in surprise as she opened her eyes. Around her neck was a beautiful pendant. The pendant was obviously Gallifreyan in origin. Her heart seemed to speed up a little. "I love it."

"I'm glad you like it. As I'm sure you have deduced it's Gallifreyan." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she leaned against him. As she looked at the reflection in the mirror, Beatrice tried to memorize everything about this moment.

"I'll treasure it," she said quietly as she twisted in his arms to face him.

"Happy Birthday my Beatrice," he said softly as he leaned down to gently kiss her, his lips barely putting any pressure on hers. She returned the kiss happily, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did so. 

An incredibly strong feeling of warmth and happiness filling her. They pulled apart and she looked into his dark brown eyes. At last, he spoke again.

"That necklace is more than a piece of jewellery. It also serves a slightly more practical purpose."

"How so?" she asked tilting her head to the side slightly.

"The glass over the pendant is made from a Metebelis 3 crystal which often enhances the mind. It will amplify the normally dormant telepathic abilities that you as a human have." 

"So this pendant allows me to telepathically communicate with you?" Beatrice asked. 

"Precisely. If you and I are ever forcibly separated we will be able to stay in contact with one another." Beatrice smiled slightly. She found it sweet how protective he was of her. There was a certain sense of safety she felt when she was around him. 

"Thank you," she said telepathically.

"Your welcome my dear," she heard him reply in her head. Even in her head, she could hear the tenderness inflected in his tone. She had a feeling tonight was going to be wonderful.

Author's Note: Aww:) The Master really is protective of her. I will note that the date I chose for Beatrice's birthday is actually significant. June 18th 1973 was the day that we, unfortunately, lost the wonderful Roger Delgado to a car crash in Turkey. I wish that Roger had lived long enough to see how beloved his character would become. He really was the Master of them all. On a side note, I didn't actually make up the dormant telepathic abilities thing. It is stated by the third Doctor in the episode Planet of the Spiders. I have a surprise for you all in the next chapter. A certain pair of character is going to make a cameo. Please like and COMMENT hearing your thoughts on the story is very important and encouraging. Thank you to those who have commented and thank you to everyone who has read the story!


	19. Dinner in the 20s

The TARDIS landed in 1924. Beatrice was once again thankful that the Master could actually properly pilot his TARDIS. If she were with the Doctor they would probably land in the middle of the London Blitz. 

As the pair of them stepped out Beatrice glanced back at the TARDIS which was now shaped like an out of order telephone box. 

"Welcome, to New York my dear," said the Master. Beatrice smiled as she looked around. The city was all lit up since it was evening.

"It's even better than I imagined," she said. The Master offered her his arm and took it as they began to walk down the street. The fringe at the bottom of her dress swayed jauntily with each step she took.

"I know an excellent Italian restaurant that is nearby. It's actually known for being the first big Italian restaurant in New York," he said 

"That sounds positively marvellous," she replied. They soon reached a set of steps leading up to a reddish brownstone building with a lighted sign reading Barbetta. The restaurant looked like something straight out of The Great Gatsby. 

Walking inside Beatrice was shocked by the beauty and elegance of the place. There was an absolutely gorgeous chandelier and the carvings on the furniture were exquisite. They were seated at a quiet corner table which offered them slightly more privacy than some of the tables in the middle of the restaurant.

"This is amazing. I always thought the closest I would get to the 1920s was reading F. Scott Fitzgerald stories." 

"I'm glad you like it. You've read The Great Gatsby then?" he asked as they took a look at their menus.

"Required reading in school. Besides I was originally an English Major in college and you kind of have to know the classics." 

"Ah, yes, you did mention that when you first came to visit me in my cell." said the Master. Beatrice was cut off from answering by the arrival of their waiter. Once the waiter left she spoke.

"Yes, I did. Look how far we've come since then." The Master chuckled at her comment.

"I certainly would never have imagined back then that things would turn out the way they have."

"Yes, nobody could have guessed that the mouthy little UNIT agent you met during an attempted world-domination attempt would end up as your companion."

"You certainly have never been afraid to speak your mind," the Master said giving her a fond smile.

"Someone has to call you out on the ridiculousness of your plans," defended Beatrice though she was still smiling.

"Listening to you criticism them is at least more amusing than the Doctor's consistent lectures on morality."

"I'm glad you find my attempts to give you a dose of common sense amusing," Beatrice replied in a dry tone.

The waiter returned with their meals. The steaming fettuccine smelled delicious. The waiter also brought a bottle of champagne. The Master poured both of them a glass.

"I thought prohibition was going on?" asked Beatrice.

"Some states were laxer than others about restricting alcohol. New York repealed some of the stricter measures a year ago." the Master informed her. He raised his glass to her. "To your birthday my dear." Beatrice also raised her glass before both of them took a sip.

"Thank you. You know, for someone who claims to dislike Earth as much as you do, you certainly know a lot about its history," she pointed out. As scornful of her species as the Master could be he did seem to enjoy certain aspects of Earth culture.

"When you travel as much as I do it's usually wise to know a little bit about the places you go." 

"I suppose. You wouldn't want to mention something that hasn't been invented for another century and mess up history." Beatrice agreed.

"No, I'll leave the time meddling to my fellow renegade the Monk." Beatrice laughed.

"Dear God just what we need, another renegade timelord causing trouble. We have a hard enough time dealing with you."

"Don't worry, the last I heard he was trapped in the Viking Era." The Master assured her. 

"Good. You know it really is great to finally get a chance to relax. Especially after nearly dying on multiple occasions." 

"Not all of those were my fault," said the Master. Beatrice reached across the table and took his hand in her gloved one.

"No, only most of them. Just maybe next time you try to take over you could not piss off the species you are working with." 

"We'll see," replied the Master giving her hand a gentle squeeze. They continued eating but Beatrice began to get the feeling they were being watched. Glancing at a nearby table she caught the eye of a short woman with brown hair. She was seated next to a tall older-looking man with grey hair, startlingly bushy eyebrows and a black frock coat. Beatrice raised her eyebrow and the woman quickly looked away.

"We're being watched," she said to the Master tilting her head in the direction of the brunette woman. The Master looked at them.

"Doctor," he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

"What? But the Doctor's grounded thanks to those jerks on the Gallifreyan High Council."

"This must be a later regeneration but I would recognize his telepathic signature anywhere." the Master told her.

"Please don't start anything," she said quietly. The Master gave her a small smile. 

"Don't worry my dear, I have no intentions of trying to cause trouble with an older Doctor."

"Thank you," she said. Beatrice was rather happy that the Master was willing to put his games with the Doctor aside for the evening for her sake.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Clara and the Doctor had decided to take a break from their usual pattern of saving the universe. Clara had been hungry so the Doctor had offered to take her for Italian. She noticed the Doctor glancing at a couple sitting near them.

The woman was dressed in a blue flapper dress and had dark red hair. The man sitting across from her was slightly older and had black hair and a goatee, both of which were beginning to grey. He was dressed in a finely tailored suit and his tie matched the woman's dress.

"What is it? Do you know them?" she asked.

"Yes, I did know them. That man is the Master. More specifically, one of his younger incarnations, from before the Time War." Clara was surprised. 

"You mean that is Missy? Who's the redhead?"

"Her name is Beatrice Rosenfield. She worked at UNIT but also travelled with the Master," replied the Doctor. As he said this Beatrice laughed at something the Master said. Both were smiling and clearly having a good evening.

"What do you think they are doing here? Do we need to worry?" asked Clara.

"Surprisingly enough, I doubt it. Beatrice was always a rather good influence on the Master. They were close but he rarely tried to involve her in his schemes. Actually I don't think she would let him involve her."

"I've never seen the Master this happy without it being at the expense of someone else." Said Clara. She watched as the woman took the Master's hand. The gesture and the almost intimate way that they were looking at each other indicated that there was certainly something between them.

"Hang on, they're a couple aren't they?" Clara asked.

"Yes," said the Doctor in an unconcerned tone.

"But she's a human right?" Clara said quietly. She was rather shocked. 

"Yes, she is," confirmed the Doctor, his tone still very matter-of-fact.

"Why aren't you surprised?" Clara asked. The Doctor shrugged.

"I knew for a long time. He was always so much kinder to her than any other human. And strange as it may sound, they aren't exactly the oddest couple. The Master here is very different from the one you met. They had much less hatred back then." There was a nostalgic look on the Doctor's face. 

Clara remembered how Missy had described her relationship with the Doctor,

A friendship older than your civilization, and infinitely more complex. She had brushed Missy's words off back then. More concerned with what happened to the Doctor. But seeing this Master so clearly care for someone made Clara begin to reconsider and even believe what Missy said. 

Clara stared at Beatrice and the Master. Beatrice had a joyful smile on her face and the Master looked rather relaxed as he held his companion's hand. It was a shocking sight. The normally chaotic Master seemed content.

"Did he love her?" asked Clara softly so that Beatrice and the Master wouldn't hear. The Doctor paused for a moment.

"Yes, I think in his own way he did. She certainly loved him. If you ask me it's a bit of a shame it didn't work out. They were a good match. Perhaps if things were different, she might have been able to stop him from becoming what he became."

Clara watched as the woman toyed with a necklace that Clara recognized as being Gallifreyan. It was almost incomprehensible to think that a person could love someone like the Master, let alone have that feeling returned.

Suddenly, Beatrice turned her head and made eye contact with Clara. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in acknowledgement. Clara quickly looked away. 

"Do you think they recognize you?" Clara asked.

"Probably," said the Doctor. He and the Master made eye contact and the Master raised his glass in a respectful gesture which the Doctor returned.

"Scratch that, he knows." The Doctor said correcting himself.

"You know in the few times you told me about Missy, you never mentioned this Beatrice woman" commented Clara.

"It wasn't my place. Besides, the Master doesn't like talking about her that much. Probably because it reminds them that they actually cared for someone once. Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure the Master ever got over her. I recall him keeping a picture of her during the Time War."

"A sentimental Master. It's almost unbelievable," Clara said. 

"Don't let him hear you call him that. This version may be younger but he's still the Master," warned the Doctor. 

"Believe me, I won't," said Clara. 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Once they had finished dinner Beatrice and the Master left the restaurant. They turned the corner to where the TARDIS was parked. The pair of them stopped short. Right next to the out of order telephone box was a blue police box.

"It looks like the Doctor still hasn't fixed the Chameleon circuit," said the Master dryly.

"Maybe. But there's something very familiar about seeing that old police box. I don't think he'd really be the Doctor without it. Given the number of changes you Timelords go through I can't blame him for wanting something to stay the same." The Master was about to reply when a voice interrupted him.

"I thought the same thing," said a voice behind them. Beatrice and the Master turned to find the Doctor and his companion standing behind them. The Master wasn't quite sure how to react. Beatrice, on the other hand, smiled broadly.

"Doctor!" she said walking forwards and giving him a hug. The Doctor stiffened. 

"I'm not really a hugging person this time around," he said awkwardly giving Beatrice a pat on the back. She pulled away and laughed. The Master smirked at the Doctor's reaction. The Doctor's companion spoke up again.

"He always says that. By the way, I'm Clara Oswald," the brunette said holding her hand out for Beatrice to shake. The Master continued to watch the interaction.

"Beatrice Rosenfield," replied Beatrice cheerfully as she began talking with the Doctor's companion. The Master refocused his attention on the Doctor.

"Hello, Doctor," he said politely as he took a step forward.

"Master," replied the Doctor shortly. There was something odd in the Doctor's eyes. It seemed to be a mix of nostalgia and regret. This Doctor was certainly far older than the one currently residing at UNIT.

"I assume by Beatrice's presence that you aren't planning anything I have to interfere with?" asked the Doctor gruffly.

"Don't worry Doctor. I made him promise to behave himself tonight," Beatrice said with a small smirk on her face. 

"As nice as it is to see you, Doctor. We should probably get going before we cause a paradox." The Master said. 

"Two renegade Timelords in the same area is probably a recipe for trouble," agreed Beatrice.

"Yes, and I have a class of fifth-graders to teach tomorrow," added Miss Oswald.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Clara. Look after the Doctor he needs someone to watch his back." Beatrice said taking a step back towards the Master who took out his TARDIS key and unlocked the door.

Miss Oswald headed into the police box and Beatrice did the same for his TARDIS leaving the Doctor and the Master alone. The Doctor cleared his throat.

"Well, it was good to see you, Master," he said there was a solemness in his voice that surprised the Master.

"Indeed," agreed the Master. "Goodbye Doctor. Until we meet again." he stepped into his TARDIS. He set the TARDIS to dematerialize. 

He was slightly troubled by the look on the Doctor's face. The Master shook his head slightly. Thinking about things like that would do no good. If the Master was correct in assuming this Doctor was extremely far down the timeline then the Master had quite a while before he had to worry about whatever was bothering the Doctor.

"Is something wrong?" asked Beatrice looking slightly concerned as she took a step closer. 

"Not at all my dear, I was merely considering our meeting with the Doctor." 

"Yes. At least his fashion sense doesn't stand out quite as much. I'm glad he still has someone to travel with."

"Yes, he seems to have maintained his habit of picking up stray humans," Beatrice laughed.

"Can you blame him for wanting company? Travelling the universe on your own isn't nearly as enjoyable. Besides, you can't talk considering you let me travel with you." He pulled her closer and placed on hand on the back of her neck while the other drifted to her waist. She placed one arm around his neck while the other rested on the back of his head.

"You are the exception, my dear," he said leaning down and kissing her. After a moment she pulled away slightly their foreheads leaning against each other.

"Regardless, you aren't alone anymore," she whispered before kissing him again. In that moment the Master knew that she was right.

Author's note: There you go! Twelve and Clara made a cameo. I played around a lot with that chapter. I hope you guys liked it. Please let me know what you think. Barbetta is a real restaurant that opened in 1906 and is still around today. Also, I can actually see the Jacobi Master from the Time War having a picture of her or something. The Doctor might not have seen that incarnation but I assume at some point they ran into each other during the Time War. I hope to update soon but I have to think up an adventure for the two of them. If you guys have any suggestions of what you want to see I'll be happy to hear it. Please like and comment. Your support means a lot. Thanks for reading!


	20. Mesmerus

Beatrice sat on the steps of the consul room working on her sketchbook. She had decided to record her adventures in the book. She was currently working on a drawing of the Master dressed in his vicar's outfit.

The man himself was busy setting coordinates. He hadn't told Beatrice where they were headed and had simply told her to wear something professional looking. Beatrice was once again thankful for the TARDIS's vast wardrobe where she had found a perfectly tailored navy-blue pant's suit with a peplum blazer and creme blouse. Her hair was put up in a french twist to keep it out of the way.

She glanced up from her drawings to look at the Master. She loved watching him work. The elegant way he moved, the small smirk that he would get on his face when he succeeded in getting what he was working on to work, and the warm look in his eyes when he caught her watching him.

"Well that should do it," he said. Beatrice set down he sketchbook and walked over to him. 

"Are you going to tell me where we are headed now?" she asked arching an eyebrow.

"The planet Mesmerus," he said turning on the scanner. Beatrice saw a blue and purple planet that appeared to have two suns.

"And why are we headed there?" she said as the TARDIS landed and he opened the door. She stepped out and was greeted with the sight of an industrial looking city. 

All around her were tall skyscrapers and office buildings that mostly looked the same. Beatrice might have mistaken it for a major city on earth if it hadn't been for the dark blue and purple clouds in the sky. The Master stepped out next to her and answered her question.

"We're here to look at the presentation of a machine I heard about and am rather interested in." she took his arm and they began walking in the direction of a tall building with a pyramid on top.

"You aren't planning to try and steal it for one of your plans are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"I assure you it is simple scientific curiosity," he said with a chuckle.

"Excuse me for being suspicious of the man who, during the time I've known him, has made at least four invasion attempts on earth."

"Touche my dear. Touche. But you forget I am a scientist as well as a criminal." 

"Only you could sound pleased about admitting that second part," Beatrice said wryly as they reached the building where they were stopped by a guard.

"Passes please," the guard said. The Master held up what Beatrice recognized to be psychic paper.

"Professor Masters and his wife Jane Masters," he said. The guard nodded and they walked in.

"Why do you always use some variation of your actual name. You might not get caught if you used something different. Also, wife?" she said. It wasn't that she was upset by his choice in cover for them, just slightly surprised.

"You object?" he asked.

"Not at all," she said shooting him a smile as they reached their seats and sat down. There was a large monitor the size of one of a TV in Times Square. Beneath it was a large circuit board covered in buttons. Multiple cables connected to a black box roughly the size of a large kleenex box. The box was resting on a short folding table that was set up on the platform. Two thin wires with what looked like electrodes attached at the end trailed from the box and rested on a plain wooden chair. 

"You know this reminds me of the Keller Machine fiasco," Beatrice told the Master.

"How so?" he asked looking slightly miffed at her criticism of his failed plan.

"The set up with the chair. Just the whole presentation seems similar," she snickered slightly. "The Doctor and I kept annoying Professor Kettering by interrupting and contradicting him." The Master chuckled.

"I can see both you and the Doctor doing that." 

"Well, I still don't know how anyone bought that ridiculous story about removing negative impulses and still leaving a well-balanced individual," she said in a slightly derisive tone.

"People can be convinced of practically anything if they want to believe it," answered the Master.

"Yes, I believe you've more than proven that. Sometimes I marvel at the gullibility of my own species," said Beatrice. Humans could be quite ingenious but she wasn't too proud to admit that her species could be rather foolish at times.

The Master was prevented from replying as a tall man with sharp features and brown hair took to the lectern on the platform. He smiled although the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Something about him seemed to set off alarm bells in Beatrice, though she didn't know what. Perhaps she was just getting paranoid.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Doctor Harold Sommeil. I'm so pleased that all of you have come to see the presentation of Project Morpheus. A personal triumph of mine. Though many of the upper class have already tried this machine I wish to bring it's usage to the masses." Doctor Sommeil paused for effect.

"But some of you may be wondering what this device actually does and how it works. You see Project Morpheus is designed to give people what their hearts desire." A young woman stepped onto the platform and sat in the chair technicians attached wires to her temples. Once they were attached the woman appeared to go unconscious. 

"I hope this doesn't end up like the Keller Machine. The man they tested it on ended up losing who he was," she said telepathically to the Master.

"The mind is a fragile thing," she heard the Master reply in her head. Beatrice quickly tuned back into Doctor Sommeil's speech.

"The machine here will read this woman's thoughts and find out her greatest desire. Then it will put her to sleep and she will experience a virtual reality version of her desire. This can go on for as long as the client wishes. This large screen will show us what is going through my dear assistant's mind."

Doctor Sommeil walked over to the box and pressed a button. Over at the circuit board, one of the technicians flipped a switch and the large screen came to life. The screen showed the woman sitting on a blanket in a sunny park with an elderly couple.

"She sees herself reunited with her deceased parents. Happy as can be. But not only does she see it. She is experiencing it. The wind on her face, the warmth of the sun, everything. And just as soon as it begins it can end." the technicians removed the wires and the woman gasped. She appeared to be slightly drained but otherwise was fine.

"And there you have it. A simple and harmless procedure. Thank you for attending the demonstration. My assistant and I will be more than happy to answer any questions." People began to get up and depart while other's approached the podium. She and the Master stood.

"Well, that was interesting. Though I've got to say I think I've had enough of people meddling in my head," she shivered slightly remembering the War Chief's invasion of her mind. The Master must have noticed because he placed a hand on her arm.

"I won't let anything hurt you again. At least not if I can help it," he told her once again using telepathy. She gave him a small smile her heart warmed a little at the Master's protective tone. 

They re-entered the TARDIS and the Master moved to the consul.

"What now?" asked Beatrice.

"I want to examine that machine more closely. Without the interference of Sommeil and his technicians. I'm going to jump forward in time a few hours so we can break inside." 

"Why am I not surprised," Beatrice said with a wry smile. It would have been foolish to expect this to be an uneventful trip. Then again, where was the fun if there wasn't a bit of risk? 

Author's note: Finally another update. Sorry for the delay. Schoolwork can get in the way as it does have to come first. For the record, from now on if the words are just in italics they are an internal monologue. But if the italics have quotes around them it is the two of them talking telepathically. I'll try and update again soon. Also, Sommeil is French for sleep so the guy's name is technically Doctor Sleep though it has no relation to the Stephen King novel/movie. Project Morpheus is also not the same thing as the Morpheus Machine is the 12th Doctor episode Sleep No More. As usual, I don't own Doctor Who. Please like and COMMENT. I love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!


	21. Project Morpheus

Beatrice and the Master landed the TARDIS inside the demonstration room, which appeared to be empty. Beatrice looked around as they stepped out. 

"Quiet as the dead," she said softly.

"Hopefully it will stay that way." said the Master as he walked up to the box and began examining it. 

"I'm slightly worried about the lack of security," she said glancing towards the door. The Master glanced up.

"The scanners didn't register anybody when we landed. Though I won't deny it is suspicious."

"Perhaps you should have checked more thoroughly," said a snide voice behind them. Both of them whipped around and found themselves faced with Doctor Harold Sommeil and four bodyguards. All with guns pointed at them.

"Hands up please," said Sommeil. They both raised their hands in surrender.

"Search them." The bodyguards stepped forward and removed any weapons the Master and Beatrice had including the Master's laser gun and a short pocket knife belonging to Beatrice. Once they had done so two bodyguards grabbed each of them.

"What do we do?" she asked the Master.

"Cooperate till I think of a plan," came the reply.

"Ah, Master we meet again," said Sommeil.

"I don't remember threatening you," said the Master pleasantly.

"You wouldn't. I doubt you would remember me I was a child when you attacked my planet Albar and assisted the Stenza in causing death and destruction to my planet. I barely escaped. Because of you, I lost the chance to have a childhood or see my parents grow old."

"In my defence, the Stenza did most of the dirty work. I just helped facilitate the chaos," said the Master. This resulted in Sommeil punching him causing his lip to bleed. Beatrice cried out. Sommeil turned his attention to her.

"And who do we have here?" he asked. Beatrice didn't reply and glared at Sommeil.

"I didn't realize the psychopath here began taking on pretty assistants," he took a step forward and reached to stroke her cheek but she managed to kick him in the knee. Sommeil doubled over for a moment but when he straightened he was smirking.

"Back off," Beatrice snapped.

"Fiesty too. You know you really are making a mistake travelling with this man. He'll only get you killed. That's if he doesn't kill you himself." Beatrice could tell that the Master was angry though his face appeared mostly impassive. His eyes burned with anger. 

She suspected the only reason he hadn't said anything was to prevent Sommeil from realizing she mattered to him. She tried to think of a way to distract Sommeil from the Master so the Master could come up with a plan.

"So what's the deal with Project Morpheus?" she asked.

"Ah, my pet project. Actually there isn't any evil scheme there. I'm merely a businessman. I just recognized your associate in the crowd earlier today."

"And I suppose now you want to kill us? How typical," said Beatrice sarcastically.

"Eventually. At least for him. You, on the other hand, I'm not sure what to do."

"It really doesn't matter. She's expendable," said the Master who had been tied to a pole with his hands behind him. 

"Really? Then why would you bring her with you? See ever since you went and ruined my life I did research into you. You never carry around companions. Certainly not a human one. So there must be something special about her for you to bring her with you." said Sommeil casually. Beatrice internally cursed. It looked like the Master's bluff had been called.

"You know if you were planning on capturing us maybe you should have planned what you were actually going to do," she said.

"Maybe your right. But I've just had a wonderful idea. You were curious about Morpheus. Why don't you try it for yourself?" Sommeil smirked. 

"No way!" said Beatrice. 

"Or I could shoot the Master right now."

"Why would you want to use Morpheus on me? By your own admission it isn't something to be used for an evil scheme?" asked Beatrice.

"Because I think I can bring you around to my way of thinking when it comes to this bastard," said Sommeil nodding towards the Master.

"Beatrice, don't!" Beatrice looked towards the Master.

"I can't let them kill you."

"Fine," she said staring at Sommeil who smiled and clapped his hands together.

"Excellent!" Beatrice was lead over to the chair and sat down they attached the wires to her temples and she glanced once more over at the Master. Worry was evident in his eyes.

Sommeil pressed a button and everything went white for a moment. Then she was in a hallway of the Master's TARDIS. Beatrice walked to the consul room. The man himself was inside and smiled at her. 

"Hello, my dear," he took her hand and drew her closer.

"You're awfully affectionate today," Beatrice said with a smile as he kissed him. They pulled apart slightly though he still held her in his arms. She felt the steady beating of his hearts as she leaned against him and smelt the scent of expensive cigars on him.

"Can't I be happy to see my wife?" Beatrice glanced down at her hand and saw a golden ring inscribed with Gallifreyan symbols. The Master had a matching one on his ring finger.

"Yes I suppose so," she said.

"Have you seen Gemma?" asked the Master.

"I believe our daughter was in the garden room," she said. The pair of them walked down the hallway. Beatrice brushed a lock of her red hair which wasn't quite as vibrant as it had been in her youth, though it had not begun to grey yet.

They entered the garden room where a young girl with red hair and dark brown eyes was sitting on a bench. She looked up and ran towards them.

"Mother! Father!" she ran towards them and Beatrice hugged her daughter. 

"Hello, little Gem. What were you reading?"

"A book of Gallifreyan fairytales. I'm on Snow White and the Seven Doomsday Keys." Beatrice glanced at the Master as he smiled down softly at their daughter.

"Would you like to read them with me?" Gemma asked.

"Certainly," said Beatrice as the three of them walked over to a bench with the Master. He pulled Gemma up onto his lap and Beatrice leaned against him as she took the storybook and began to read.

"Once upon a time..."

Beatrice suddenly gasped she opened her eyes and saw she was back in the room with Doctor Sommeil and the others. She couldn't look at the Master. 

"See? What did I tell you? It gives you the perfect dream world."

"But what was the point?" she asked.

"I can give you that perfect dream. You can live happily in that reality. Safe and happy. You'll never get what you want in real life. Why not have a dream that's almost reality? You can stay there as long as you want. The machine puts you in stasis so you don't have to worry about food."

The idea of living in that reality was genuinely tempting. She could have a happy ending. The whole thing had felt so real and she didn't remember what happened in the real world when she was under the influence of Project Morpheus. She would never have to deal with heartbreak. It had all been so beautiful and real.

"All you have to do is kill the Master," said Sommeil.

"Why me?" she asked. Her mind felt slightly cloudy. 

"Simple, I want to see the look on his face when you betray him. Shot by his own companion. What could be more painful?" Sommeil took his gun and handed it to Beatrice.

"Just kill him. It's a win for everyone, except him. You get your happy ending. I get my revenge, and you do the universe a favour by getting rid of this psychopath. He won't be able to hurt anyone. Including you." Beatrice slowly raised the gun and cocked it.

Author's Note: Well, that's a cliff hanger! I wanted to give Beatrice some real temptation and conflict. Thank you all for reading. Please like and COMMENT. Your comments really let me know that you are enjoying the story and my reader's thoughts are important. I'll update soon. Until next time Whovians!


	22. Confessions

The Master had done his best to focus on cutting the bonds that held him using a knife hidden up his sleeve. This was slightly difficult to do when he was so intensely worried about Beatrice.

The image that appeared on the screen had surprised him however, he couldn't let himself be distracted by that at the moment. He had almost finished when Sommeil handed Beatrice the gun. Telling her to kill the Master. He looked up and met her eyes as she raised the gun and cocked it.

Though he knew she cared for him he wasn't entirely sure whats choice she would make. Temptation was a powerful thing as he knew only too well. He glanced back down. Not sure whether he could watch her betray him if that was the choice she made. 

The sound of the gun rang out and the Master finished cutting his bonds. He looked up to see that Beatrice had turned the gun on Sommeil and shot him in the head. The Master immediately registered his two guards turning their guns towards Beatrice. 

He used the knife in his hand to reach around and slash the throat of one of the guards. Another shot rang out and he saw that Beatrice had shot the other guard. She now stood there loosely holding the gun in her hand. He walked towards her and gently removed it from her hand tossing it aside.

"Let's go before the other two guards he sent out to keep watch come to investigate." He quickly guided her back into the TARDIS and set the coordinates to take off. Once he was finished he looked up at Beatrice. She had one hand holding the side of her arm and seemed to be thinking.

She met his gaze and after a moment finally spoke.

"I think I need to be alone and think for a bit." 

"As you wish my dear," he said not unkindly. She nodded her head and left the consul room. 

The Master fiddled with the consul for a while as it helped keep distracted so he could delay thinking about what had occurred. Finally, he decided it was time to head to bed and made his way to his room. As he did so he reflected on what he had seen when Beatrice was under the influence of the machine. 

He honestly wasn't sure how to feel about the image of the two of them as a family. He knew very well that Beatrice did want to be a mother someday. He had seen the look in her eye when she spoke of her young niece. Neither of them had any delusions that what occurred in the vision could actually come to pass.

A part of him wasn't so much sorry that it couldn't happen but more that he couldn't give Beatrice that happiness. Though that vision was happy, it was unfortunately also unrealistic. An impossible dream. 

The thing was that in his experience humans were often very susceptible to temptation. This also often led to them being simple to manipulate.

Though he knew that Beatrice was very different from other humans he met. He couldn't help but wonder at the fact that she had turned down the chance at having her deepest desire granted. It was a chance most would jump at.

He also wasn't entirely sure what it was that was bothering her. Perhaps the fact that she had killed those two men? But she was a UNIT agent. Trained to kill if necessary. It wasn't as if it were the first time she had used a gun He had seen her face after she shot the two men and the look on her face hadn't been one of regret or shock at what she had done. No, he didn't think the deaths of those men was the answer.

The Master sighed as he reached his room and took off his black jacket. It was slightly frustrating not being sure what was going through her mind as he couldn't formulate a way to react to it and properly comfort her. 

He was about to continue changing when he heard Beatrice's voice in his mind.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I know I said I wanted to be alone but I need to talk to you."

"Certainly, I'm in my room. I'm sure the TARDIS can guide you."

"Alright, thank you."

He awaited Beatrice's arrival and sure enough, a few minutes later there was a knock on his door. He opened it and found Beatrice standing there. She had removed her makeup and taken her hair out of its updo. She did always look prettier with her hair down.

"Come in my dear," he said stepping aside. She entered. There was an almost nervous look on her face. She was twisting her hands anxiously. His room had a small loveseat in it and he gestured for her to take a seat and once she had he joined her.

"What did you wish to discuss?" he asked. 

"Mainly about what just happened," she replied quietly. "I'm sorry you saw what you did on the screen. I can't deny that in an ideal world that would be wonderful. But I know that it's an impossible dream. And just because a part of me wishes that could happen. It doesn't mean I'm not happy with you now even knowing that we're destined to part." she said not meeting his gaze. Gently he tilted her head to look up at him.

"I can't be mad at you because you wish for something that is completely normal. I know you don't have any delusions about the future and it would be wrong to condemn you for a mere dream," he replied truthfully.

"Good. But that wasn't the main thing that is bothering me," she paused and he patiently waited for her to elaborate. "I was tempted. There was a brief moment where I actually considered his offer. Even though it was only for a moment and I couldn't bring myself to actually go through with it...just the fact that I was even tempted makes me question whether that makes me a bad person. Does it?" she looked at him her eyes begging for reassurance. The Master took her hands and shook his head.

"No Beatrice, it doesn't. You're a being with free will. Any creature who has that has the potential to be tempted. What matters is the choice you make in the end. Mere temptation does not make you a bad person." Beatrice still looked unsure so he continued speaking.

"You are the farthest thing from a bad person that I know. Not to mention that I of all people am hardly in a position to criticise." He added this last part to try and lighten the mood. Although it was true that he had no business judging other people's morals given his history. He wasn't as self-righteous as the Doctor.

His words appeared to reassure Beatrice because he agitation had died down and she looked slightly less downcast. The Master decided that while they were on the subject of what had happened he should ask her the thing that he had been wondering about since she shot Sommeil.

"You could have been happy with that machine," he said. Beatrice shook her head.

"No, I couldn't have. No false happiness could be worth losing the true cause of the joy I already feel." 

"But why?" he asked. He could see there was more to her reasoning besides what her answer had provided. She looked down taking a deep breath before meeting his eyes.

"Because I love you," her voice was so quiet that his hearing just managed to pick it up. For a moment he was stunned. He couldn't deny his surprise. The Master knew that she cared deeply for him. Yet hearing her admit to being in love with one of the most dangerous criminals in the universe was still quite shocking. He stood though his eyes never left hers. 

"You shouldn't," he replied quietly. Beatrice gave him a wry smile as she too stood gently reaching up to caress his cheek.

"I know. I shouldn't have let you escape that day at UNIT HQ. I shouldn't have agreed to travel with you. I shouldn't have returned your kiss in the lab. And I certainly shouldn't have let myself fall in love with you. I shouldn't have done a lot of things concerning you. But when it comes to emotions," she gave a small shrug. "Whether I shouldn't do something is rather irrelevant."

The Master looked into her gorgeous hazel eyes that were currently shining with love and adoration. She meant every word she said and it amazed him. She cared for him and desired in return only the reciprocation of her love. And the Master found to his surprise that he cared for her just as deeply. All this ran through his head in a matter of seconds.

"If I were a better man I could let you know how important you are to me," he said. She pulled him into an embrace which he returned. 

"I don't want a better man. I only want you," she whispered in his ear. Before pulling back so that they could look at each other. Leaning down he kissed her more passionately than he ever had before his hands tangling in her thick red hair.

Finally, they had to pull apart for air. Beatrice took the opportunity to slip off her blazer. Both of them were clearly thinking the same thing. But he wanted to be certain she was ready. He pulled her closer his hand at the small of her back.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. Beatrice gave a small nod before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him as fiercely as he had kissed her. All thoughts of what had happened before fled his mind. At that moment all that mattered was the two of them.

Author's Note: TADA! She finally said it! I've been holding out on this scene for a while but I wanted to do a slow burn. It took 30 chapters for them to kiss and 50 for the I love you! Yes, I'm obviously implying they do it but no worries I don't intend to actually write the action itself as I want to keep this PG-13ish. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment. Especially with this chapter, I want to know your thoughts. The more detailed the better. I know commenting takes time but they can be very helpful and encouraging. I will try and update again within a week or so, so keep checking for updates. Thanks for reading!


	23. The Morning After

Beatrice woke to find herself lying in the Master's arms. Memories of the previous night's events came back to her and she smiled. Beatrice twisted in his arms to face him and found him watching her a soft smile on his face. She loved when he smiled like that. Finally, he spoke.

"Good morning my dear." Oh, how Beatrice enjoyed that term of endearment. She had noticed she was the only person whose name he didn't tack onto the end of the first two words. She was always simply, "My dear". 

"Good morning," she said softly. "Last night was wonderful."

"I quite enjoyed it myself," he replied. She nestled closer into him and she felt him tighten his hold on her.

"I could get used to waking up in your arms," she said still smiling.

"I could get used to having you in them." A feeling of warmth spread through Beatrice at his words.

"I meant what I said last night. It wasn't a spur of the moment thought," she said thinking of her confession the previous night. The Master propped himself up on one arm and with his other hand tilted her chin up so that they were looking each other in the eyes.

"I know. You may be a hopeless romantic but you are also the most genuine person I know. You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it," he paused. "I hope you know that I care for you just as much." A small feeling of relief filled Beatrice at this final verbal confirmation of his feelings. She also propped her self upon her arm. Brushing back her now rather messy hair.

"I do. Your actions have more than proven that you care for me. The way you always try to take care of and protect me. Even before we admitted that we cared for each other. All the way back to when you stopped the Axons duplicating me. You may pretend to be heartless but I know it isn't true."

"You really do try to see the best in others," he said gently toying with a strand of her hair.

"Only those I care for." 

"You're right though. Even back then I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt. Though I didn't know why." he told her.

"It's funny, but I always feel safe when I'm with you," she said. He might not be a knight in shining armour. But she knew he wouldn't let anything hurt her if he could help it.

"Few people would," he told her quietly. The expression on his face was difficult to read. He often looked so dour and solemn that anything else was hard to place at times. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his.

"Well, I'm not most people am I?" she said a small smirk on her face as she pulled away.

"No, you aren't. And I'm glad for that," he replied. The Master gently began trailing his hand down her spine. They were silent for a moment before something Beatrice had been curious about popped into her mind.

"Master, who was Ailla?" she asked. The Master paused for a moment.

"Where did you hear that name?" he asked his tone was slightly sharp but not angry.

"The Doctor mentioned her when he told me he knew about us. He said she was your previous companion but wouldn't tell me anything else."

"That man needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut." muttered the Master as he resumed the stroking of her back.

"Sorry to bring up a tough subject," said Beatrice. It was clearly a somewhat painful memory. The Master shook his head.

"It's alright my dear," he sighed. "Ailla was indeed my former companion from about 200 years ago. I met her in the 28th century on Earth. She appeared to be smarter than your average human. I was admittedly surprised by her extreme intelligence and inquisitiveness. She seemed tolerable enough and I decided there couldn't be much harm in travelling with her." Beatrice must have looked slightly insecure because the Master then said,

"You may both be intelligent but that's where the similarities end. She had none of you bravery, kindness, or charm. Nor was she quite as beautiful." Beatrice felt herself blush and relaxed.

"So what happened with her?"

"Well, we travelled together for a while. I did grow rather fond of her and she seemed to care for me. And then she betrayed me. It turned out she was a Time Lady sent by the Celestial Intervention Agency on Gallifrey to spy on me. She attempted to arrest both myself and the Doctor. I escaped. The last I heard the Doctor managed to trick her and she was stranded Rassilon only knows where."

Beatrice felt a rush of anger towards Ailla. Double-crossing the Master the way the Doctor had done with the Axons to save the earth was one thing. But pretending to care for someone only to turn around and betray them was just plain cruel. Toying with people's emotions was something Beatrice found nearly unforgivable.

"So that's part of why you're so wary of truly trusting people. The last time that you did that person turned around and betrayed you. That's why you haven't travelled with someone since." The Master nodded.

"Until you." Beatrice was touched by his words.

"You truly trust me?" she asked.

"Implicitly," he confirmed and she could see the truth in his eyes.

"I'll never betray you like that. Never for as long as I live. I care for you too much to ever bring myself to break your trust." The Master pulled her closer.

"I know. You don't have a traitorous bone in your body," he said gently kissing the top of her head. "My faithful companion." Beatrice closed her eyes resting her head against his chest. She could hear the steady sound of his hearts beating.

In that moment, as she lay in the arms of the man she loved, Beatrice vowed to herself that she would never hurt him the way that Ailla had. Not for anything in the universe. 

Author's Note: Aww:) He trusts her. I know this is sort of a short chapter. I have to say that Ailla was not my own creation she appeared in the story The Dark Path which is a Delgado Master story the BBC published in book form. Ailla was his companion and the backstory I related is what occurred in that story. I found out about her and I thought it would be interesting for them to discuss. I'm going to try and update soon but I am backed up a bit with work so it might be a week or so before I get to update. Just keep checking in for notifications. I promise not to abandon the story. PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT! I kind of hoped the I love you scene would get some feedback but I haven't heard anything. So please take a few minutes to let me know your thoughts on the story. They do impact my writing and I always love reading them. It's kinda tough to write a story without knowing how your readers are perceiving it. Thank you so much for reading and supporting me. I am having a lot of fun writing this. Until next time Whovians!


	24. Family Troubles

Beatrice sat in the TARDIS kitchen having brunch with the Master. He wore his normal black outfit, with the exception of the black Nehru jacket he usually wore over a plain white shirt. Beatrice, on the other hand, was still in her bathrobe. 

She had made eggs and bacon to go along with their usual morning tea. Beatrice guessed it had been roughly a week since their trip to Mesmerus. Not that it mattered as the Master could drop her back home and it would still be the weekend.

"Thank you for cooking my dear," said the Master taking a sip of his tea.

"Certainly, I'm glad it turned out well. Although to be fair, eggs are about as far as my cooking prowess goes. Everything else I've attempted to make usually ends up burnt or inedible. My sister Louisa has always been the baker in the family." Beatrice said with a small laugh 

"Ah, yes. Wasn't she the one behind those delightful biscuits you brought when you were visiting me in my cell at UNIT?"

"Yes, that was her. I'm surprised you remembered." The Master raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. I remember everything about those first visits. You made being stuck there almost bearable. I certainly enjoyed your company."

"Even though at the time I was just another insignificant human?" she replied teasingly.

"You've never been insignificant Beatrice. Even back then." Beatrice smiled nostalgically.

"It's funny. But it seems so long ago since we first met. Though it's really been just under two years. 

"Time does have a funny way of moving quickly like that sometimes." replied the Master. 

Hopefully, not too fast, Beatrice thought. She wanted to savour what they had.

"Speaking of family. I've got plans to go and visit them today if you could please drop me off."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Just let me know what time you want me to retrieve you," said the Master. 

"I think sixish would be fine. I'm due there at 3:30. It'll be nice to see my siblings and parents again." 

"I'm sure. UNIT does keep you busy."

"Maybe if you didn't try and invade so much we wouldn't be so busy," she said with a small smirk.

"My dear if I didn't try to invade you and I would never have met. And what a shame that would be."

"I can't argue with that," she paused. "You know you never really mention your family." The Master set his cup down.

"I haven't seen them in over three centuries. There isn't much to tell." 

"I suppose they weren't too pleased about the whole trying to kill the Lord President thing." the Master chuckled.

"Not really, no." 

"Did you have any siblings growing up? I know you were friends with the Doctor." The Master shook his head.

"No, I was an only child. The closest thing I had to siblings were my fellow Deca members at the Academy."

"Deca?" asked Beatrice.

"I suppose you could call it a clique. It was basically a group including myself and nine other students. We shared common interests and often succeeded in driving the teachers mad," there was a nostalgic look on the Master's face. Beatrice appreciated that he was willing to open up to her more about his past even if it was merely little things like his school days.

"What happened to everyone?"

"Oh, six of us became renegades though I'm not entirely sure what happened to the other four." replied the Master with a shrug. "Although I think that the Doctor and I are the ones who have given the Timelords the most trouble as adults."

"Now THAT I can definitely see," Beatrice said with a grin. The Master gave her a fond smile at her reaction. She stood up and took her dishes to the sink and the Master followed. Once the water was run in them she turned to the Master

"I'm going to get changed." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and made to leave but the Master took her hand, pulling her back slightly so he could kiss her on the lips.

"Now you can go," he said smirking slightly. Beatrice laughed as she left to go back to their room and change.

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Once Beatrice was changed she and the Master whiled away the time before she had to go, by reading. More accurately the Master read to Beatrice while she sketched. When it was nearly 3:25 the two of them made their way to the consul room.

"23171 Glenmore Place Glasgow, Scotland?" confirmed the Master.

"Yes, that's the one." There was a light thump as the TARDIS landed. 

"I'll see you at six, my dear," said the Master with a smile.

"Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone," said Beatrice as the door opened and she stepped outside. Sure enough, the TARDIS had landed right around the corner from her parent's house next to a bus stop.

She glanced behind her just in time to see the TARDIS disappear. Beatrice made her way to the familiar yellow house. She knocked on the door and it was opened by her father.

"Hello Dad, am I the last one here?"

"Hello, Beatrice. No, we're still waiting on your brother." 

"Finally, I'm early!" Beatrice laughed as she entered the house. Heading into the kitchen she found her mother preparing dinner with the help of Louisa. They both greeted her and Beatrice moved to get the silverware.

Just as she finished setting up Collin came into the room. 

"Hey, sis! How are you?" Beatrice smiled.

"Fantastic. How's Janine and Michelle?"

"Both fine. They're out with some of Janine's friends tonight."

"Louisa helped with the cooking so everything should be edible," said Beatrice with a laugh.

"Thank goodness for that," said Collin grinning.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They managed to get through dinner without much trouble. They mostly stuck to safe topics which basically meant anything that didn't include Beatrice's personal or professional life.

Once they had finished dinner, Louisa, Collin and Beatrice retired to the living room while her mother went upstairs to find a picture album and her father went to the watch the evening news.

"So, we haven't heard much from you lately Beatrice. What have you been up to?" asked Louisa. Beatrice felt her heart plummet. 

"Just work. My friend Jo Grant and I have been helping the Scientific Advisor with some of his experiments."

"Interesting. What sorts of experiments?" enquired Louisa.

"I'm not allowed to disclose that information," said Beatrice slightly awkwardly.

"You never tell us anything. It seems like work is your life but you can't tell us anything?" Collin asked.

Not exactly my whole life. I'm also dating an alien criminal and travelling through time. Can't mention that.

"Not really None Disclosure agreement," Beatrice said, hoping that would end the argument.

"I get you can't tell us what is going on exactly but why have you been going off the grid so much. We go long periods of time without hearing from you for more than a few minutes," said Collin. This annoyed Beatrice as Collin was normally her biggest supporter.

"I'm sorry but most of my work keeps me busy I can't help that. I enjoy what I'm doing but it is rather private."

"We're just worried about you and you really aren't very receptive," said Louisa. Beatrice felt her frustration rising. She helped to save the Earth several times. But her family could never understand that! How could she explain the Axons and Sea Devils? 

"I'm not a child anymore, I have my own life and if I want to or have to keep it private I should be allowed to! I shouldn't have to worry about being interrogated by my own family each time I come home!" she said standing up in anger.

"I think you're overreacting. We're always open with you. Can't we expect the same courtesy?" argued Louisa.

"Well, maybe my life is just a tiny bit more complicated than yours!" snapped Beatrice.

"Really? Well, maybe if you told us ANYTHING we could understand!" said Louisa matching her anger.

"Calm down you two," said Collin.

"I'm sorry Collin. But I'm not going to calm down. I've been putting up with snide remarks and interrogations for far too long and I'm sick of it! Why would I want to spend time with people who do nothing but criticize my choices and nose their way into my business? Last I checked that isn't what a good family does! You claim your want to know what's going on because you care about me but if you actually gave a damn you would instead respect my choices to keep things private! If this is what is going to happen every time we get together maybe I shouldn't bother coming"

"Maybe you shouldn't, considering I barely know anything about my sister now. Sometimes I wonder if you actually care about any of us given that you share absolutely nothing! If you aren't going to let us in then maybe there isn't a point in your visiting!" Yelled Louisa who was also on her feet. 

"Fine! I'll go now if you don't want me here! Don't expect to see me any time soon!" said Beatrice storming out of the living room and going to get her coat. She heard Collin follow her.

"Beatrice, Louisa didn't mean that. Come back."

"Tell me, Collin. Do you think I'm being unreasonable?" said Beatrice sharply as she whipped around to face him. Collin sighed.

"I know there are certain things you can't reveal legally. But you have been pushing us away. I think you should open up a bit more. At least about your personal life." Beatrice felt a sinking feeling in her stomach almost like betrayal. 

"Of course, you do. I want you to understand but I don't know how to make you. And if all of you can't accept that, then maybe Louisa is right. What's the point in getting together?" she said coldly. Beatrice sighed. "Say hello to everyone at your place and say goodbye to mum and dad for me." 

Beatrice then left the house. She felt tears prickling at the edges of her eyes and hurriedly brushed them away. She checked her watch it was 5:30. She had half an hour till the Master would show up. 

She sat down on a bench nearby where the TARDIS had materialized, just out of sight of her parent's house and tried to stop herself from crying. Though her insides felt twisted in guilt, sadness, and anger.

Author's note: Well, that's finally up. Sorry for the late update I've been stuck with a bit of writer's block. I'm not entirely confident in this chapter but I hope the argument escalated alright. PLEASE COMMENT and give me some feedback on the latest three chapters I have published. I'd really love to hear from you guys as I value your opinions and comments. Glenmore Place is an actual street in Glasgow though the address is made up. The address 23171 is actually the date that Terror of the Autons aired January 23, 1971. Written in the UK as 23/1/71. Terror of the Autons was of course, the first episode to feature the Master. As usual, I don't own Doctor Who or any of the canon characters. Until next time Whovians! Thanks for reading.


	25. Comfort

The Master materialized the TARDIS just around the corner from Beatrice's parent's house at precisely 6:00. He was slightly surprised to see her waiting for him. He had anticipated potentially having to wait for her in case things went longer. Not that he was complaining.

He opened the door to the TARDIS and she stepped inside. As he looked up from the consul he immediately noticed that she looked extremely downcast. Almost as if she was on the verge of tears.

"Are you alright my dear?" he inquired in concern. 

"I'm fine. Thank you for picking me up," her voice was soft but nearly emotionless. She gave him a small smile though there was no real feeling behind it. She then quickly hurried past him and deeper into the TARDIS.

The Master set the TARDIS to dematerialize before looking back down the hallway. It didn't take telepathy to tell that something was off about Beatrice. She had been her normal cheerful self when he had left her. 

With a sigh, he went to search for her. Whatever was going on. He didn't think she should be alone. Apparently the TARDIS agreed because he found her fairly quickly. She was in the TARDIS living room. Curled up on the couch and staring into the flames of the electric fireplace. 

She didn't acknowledge his entrance but continued staring into the fire with a blank look on her face. 

He sat down next to her and gently took her hand. She finally turned towards him although she still wouldn't meet his gaze

"My dear, what happened?" She was silent for a moment. When she spoke her voice was quiet and wavering.

"I had a rather serious disagreement with my family. They don't understand that I don't want to keep all these secrets. I have to. For their safety and the safety of others. Besides, even if I did how could they understand any of this? Almost my entire life surrounds things that I can't tell them about. Alien invasions, visits to other planets, even you. 

I love what I do and I don't regret my decisions when it comes to you and to UNIT. But just hearing my own sister tell me that she doesn't know me anymore and that if I'm going to be so secretive maybe I shouldn't visit anymore. It just hurts. I don't know what to do." Her restraint seemed to crumble as she began to cry freely.

The Master pulled her into his arms and held her gently stroking her hair. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. Comforting emotional humans was more the Doctor's area of expertise. Yet, he hating seeing his darling Beatrice so distressed. Allowing her to get her emotions out was probably the best thing he could do. 

Finally, her crying subsided and she pulled away. He handed her a handkerchief for her to dry her eyes taking her free hand in his once again. She finally met his eyes and she sighed.

"You must think me quite silly breaking down like this," she said softly.

"Silly is the last word I would use to describe you, my dear. They're your family and you have every right to be upset." He was hardly going to condemn her for being emotional over something that clearly mattered to her.

"My sister wasn't the only one to say something hurtful. I said a few things I didn't mean. I just don't know how to reconcile this. It's like two parts of my life are constantly at odds."

"I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure what to tell you. I'm afraid I don't have an experience comparable to this one to draw advice from." 

"I didn't think you would," she said gently. "But thank you." 

"What for?" asked the Master. This elicited a small but at least genuine smile from Beatrice and she squeezed his hand lightly.

"For being here for me. You aren't used to dealing with something like this. But instead of leaving me to deal with my feelings on my own, you came here and listened. So thank you."

"Your very welcome my dear. I will always be here for you," he replied softly. At least for as long as I can.

Author's Note: Well here's another chapter. Sorry, it's a bit short. We should be getting another adventure soon. But I wanted to push the Master outside his comfort zone a bit. Please like and COMMENT. Thank you especially to those who already have. Due to the fun sucking black hole that is school I won't be able to update again immediately but I will do my utmost to stay consistent. Thank you, everyone, for reading. Until next time Whovians!


	26. Terrific News and Trading Troubles

Beatrice was given quite a surprise when she walked into the console room. She saw the Master talking to someone on the scanner.

"Doctor!" she said in surprise.

"Ah, Beatrice. I figured you were probably with the Master," he gave the two of them a meaningful look which seemed annoy the Master who huffed slightly. Beatrice gave a small smirk at the comment.

"Well, you figured right. Now, what are you calling about? You two seem to actually be having a civil conversation. Armageddon hasn't arrived has it?"

"No, my dear, I don't believe it has. I was just asking the Doctor the same question and assuring him that whatever has gone wrong on his pet planet has nothing to do with me." 

"I can actually vouch for that," put in Beatrice.

"I didn't think you were responsible. However, I wanted to check in with you because there were some antimatter creatures going after Timelords." 

"Worried about me Doctor?" said the Master raising an eyebrow. "I'm touched." It was now the Doctor's turn to give a huff of annoyance. 

"I just wanted to make sure the creatures hadn't attacked you two. Having to explain the injury and or death of one of UNIT's agents to the Brigadier, particularly when the agent was travelling with a wanted criminal, is not a situation I would wish to be placed in."

Beatrice resisted the urge to scoff. However he might try to justify checking in, it was clear to her the Doctor had been genuinely worried about his oldest friend.

"Well as you can see we are perfectly fine. We haven't encountered any such creatures." 

"Good," said the Doctor.

"Is there anything else?" asked the Master in a bored tone.

"Oh yes, you can quit your constant attention-seeking earth invasions for a while. The Timelords have ended my exile." Beatrice smiled broadly and even the Master looked slightly pleased though also miffed at the jab aimed at his plans.

"That's wonderful, Doctor! I knew those arses on the Gallifreyan Council would get off their high horse eventually."

"Congratulations Doctor," said the Master in a neutral tone. 

"Thank you. Well, that's all. I expect I'll be seeing you soon Beatrice. Do try and keep the old devil out of trouble will you?" The Master glared at the Doctor.

"Goodbye!" he said sharply before cutting the connection short.

"Well, that was nice of the Doctor to call."

"You heard him. He was more concerned about you." said the Master. Beatrice rolled her eyes and took the Master's hands in her's.

"I think he was also concerned about you. You are his oldest friend."

"Enemy my dear," corrected the Master but Beatrice shook her head.

"Deny it all you wish. But while you may be on opposite sides, I believe that there is some small level of friendship left between you. You might be able to fool UNIT and maybe even the Doctor. But you can't fool me." The Master tilted her chin up slightly their faces close together.

"You seem very sure of yourself my dear." Beatrice shrugged

"I am. Because I know you better than most people," she said softly. 

"I suppose you do," replied the Master quietly as he leaned down to kiss her gently. They pulled apart and Beatrice smirked.

"You can't tell me that there isn't even a tiny part of you that's pleased for the Doctor." The Master didn't reply, his usual reaction when Beatrice was right about something but he didn't want to admit it, instead choosing to turn to the console and adjust something. 

"So, where are we headed?" asked Beatrice. 

"I need to get a something for a project I'm working on," he answered.

"Let me guess. This project's end goal is to cause chaos and destruction?" he glanced at her.

"What do you think?" Beatrice sighed resignedly at his reply. She was a was used to the Master's troublemaking plans that usually seemed to backfire. Although she sometimes worried that one day his luck would run out and he wouldn't escape.

But at the same time, she knew his love for chaos and danger was a part of who he was. Beatrice loved him, and that meant all of him. The good and the bad. She might temper his chaotic nature, but she knew that she could never stop it. 

"Can I come?" she asked. The Master nodded as the TARDIS landed and he walked towards the door.

"I don't see why not," he replied. Beatrice smiled as she followed, hurrying to his side as they stepped out.

They were in a circular, room with 8 different archways all around, each leading a different direction. The walls had strange symbols carved into the stonework that were beyond Beatrice's skill to understand. 

"Where are we?" she asked.

"The Labyrinthia. It's an old fortress belonging to the person we are meeting. The building is named for the network of various paths and tunnels. We are at it's center. 

"Amazing stonework. This must have taken ages," said Beatrice running her hand over some of the symbols.

"You're missing the best part," said the Master. He guided her to the centre of the room. "Look up." Beatrice did as he suggested and gasped. The room didn't seem to have a ceiling instead, high above them there appeared to be some sort of model of a solar system. 

Granted it certainly wasn't earth's solar system. Miniature planets seemed to float unsuspended in a sea of stars and galaxies. She felt the Master come to stand beside her.

"It's magnificent," she said softly.

"I would have to agree. The constellations and planets change weekly. Each time reflecting a different star system." 

"Which system is it now?" asked Beatrice.

"My home planet's star system. You couldn't pronounce the name of the system itself but if you look up to the right, that red planet is..."

"Gallifrey," finished Beatrice. The Master nodded. He wasn't smiling but the look on his face had softened slightly.

"Yes, in the constellation of Kasterborous. Home to the Timelords." Beatrice opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a sharp female voice.

"Ah! Master, so glad you could come." Beatrice turned to see a tall woman with white-blonde hair, wearing long blue robes with intricate gold detail. The woman looked mostly human except for the fact that her eyes were a dark violet.

"Certainly." said the Master. His face now looking stern though his tone was polite.

"I didn't expect you to bring company," said the woman arching an eyebrow.

"Astoria, his is my companion Jane." The Master and Beatrice had both decided that it would probably be safer if he generally didn't introduce her to people with her real name and Jane was about the commonly used name as you got.

"Nice to meet you," said Beatrice politely. The woman inclined her head though she kept her eyes on the Master.

"You have what we agreed upon?" she asked. 

"Of course, I assume you have what I asked for. The woman pulled out a vial of foggy white liquid as the Master pulled out a metal sphere that was about the size of a cricket ball. Beatrice thought it best to keep her mouth shut and ask questions later.

The Master held out his hand for the liquid. The woman smirked and Beatrice felt her heart drop as the woman snapped her fingers. Before she or the Master could do anything, about 20 armed guards came running in. 

Both of them were grabbed and pulled away from each other. Beatrice and the Master fought against their captors but both were outnumbered and had no choice but to stop struggling.

"Unhand me!" said the Master sharply. "We had a deal Astoria!" 

"Yes, we did. But the price on your head offered by the Shadow Proclamation far outweighs the value of our deal," she said coldly as she picked up the metal sphere from the ground where it had fallen. 

"Take them away!" she said sharply.

"What about the woman?" asked one guard. Astoria came to stand in front of her.

"Perhaps we can use her as a test subject for the fear serum," she said holding the vial between her long-nailed thumb and forefinger.

"Absolutely not! She has no part in this. Your quarrel is with me!" said the Master.

"She made a poor choice in acquaintances," said Astoria with a heartless shrug. The last thing Beatrice heard before something hit her over the head was the Master's voice in her mind.

"I will come for you." 

Author's note: Well, there we are! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. I had a bit of writer's block. The next several chapters should be coming relatively quickly though. For the record, I've sped up the timeline so that Three Doctor's has just happened since I'm skipping Time Monster. Please like and COMMENT. Your opinions and comments mean a lot to me so if you can take a moment and let me know what you think I'd appreciate it. It also adds motivation to keep going. I'll update soon! Thanks for reading. Until next time Whovians!


	27. Challenges and Fear

The Master watched as Beatrice was knocked out and dragged away.

Angry and worry, filled him as he thought about the Fear Serum being used on Beatrice. However, he forced himself to keep his emotions in check. He would be no use to her if he let himself lose control.

The guards began to drag him away however an idea came to him and he shouted at Astoria who had been pouring the serum into a syringe. 

"Wait! I have a challenge for you." Astoria turned. The main weakness about Astoria's race the Thril was that they were competitive. It was almost impossible for them to refuse a challenge particularly an intellectual challenge.

"And what might that be?" The Master glanced over at an alcove in the room where there was a chess set laid.

"A challenge of intelligence, for the freedom of myself, the return my companion, the Fear Serum, and the sphere. Winner takes all." He said nodding towards the chessboard.

"And if you lose I get to turn you in and torture your little companion?" confirmed Astoria. The Master hated that he would literally be agreeing to the torture of Beatrice. Unfortunately, he had no choice. But it wouldn't matter. He WOULD win this game.

"Yes," he replied. "If you swear to it, you'll have my full cooperation should I lose." The Thril were a race bound by their words should they swear to something. She had been able to double-cross him in their deal because she had not openly sworn to go through with it. A rather foolish oversight on his part. 

"Very well I swear to return your companion as well as free you and hand over the serum and sphere should I lose. But to add to the stakes I'm putting a time limit on how long you can take to move in our game. Thirty seconds each." This added a layer of complexity to the challenge but the Master would not be deterred.

"As you wish." He said as they both sat down thought one of the guards still kept his gun trained on the Master. He was briefly reminded of the chess game he had played with Beatrice when they first met. The stakes were certainly much higher now.

Astoria moved her white pawn and the game began. The Master did his best to block out the whirl of emotions inside him so he could focus on the game. 

He scanned the board calculating which moves would be most beneficial to Astoria and imagining ways to counter each one. The trick with the time limit was to be multiple steps ahead of one's opponent. Something the Master was quite used to, but that was only a minor advantage.

He glanced at Astoria whose eyes were narrowed into violet slits. The Master had soon captured several of her pieces but she was still doing an admirable job of protecting her king, managing to consistently slip him out of danger. 

The Master switched his focus to positioning his pieces so as to block the king from any possible escape. Astoria did not seem to realize this and appeared to take his lack of attempts to get any more of her pieces to be a sign of near defeat. 

She carelessly placed her king right into the trap the Master had set up. He watched as her smug smile turned to a look of horror when he made his final move.

"Checkmate," he said evenly. Astoria seemed to recover her composure.

"Very well then. You win Master," she turned to one of the guards. "Bring back the woman." Both the Master and Astoria stood. Beatrice was brought back in. She had regained consciousness. and didn't look too much the worse for wear.

Astoria stepped next to Beatrice, taking the sphere out of her pocket she handed it to him.

"You win...almost," as she said this she suddenly stabbed the syringe of fear serum into Beatrice's arm. Beatrice cried out and stumbled over to him as the guards released her. The Master caught her. Astoria looked smug as she retreated.

"I promised I'd return her, just not in what condition!" Fury filled the Master. He wanted to slowly kill Astoria and her guards. To make them suffer for hurting Beatrice. But he didn't have time. Beatrice was beginning to shake as the serum entered her bloodstream. Her safety meant more than revenge.

He grabbed the syringe from the ground and helped Beatrice into the TARDIS and hurried over to console and set them to leave. There was a light thump and he turned to see that Beatrice had fully collapsed. 

He rushed over to her and picking her up heading to the medical bay. The TARDIS must have sensed his worry because the first door in the corridor leading out of the console room led to the medical wing. 

Gently he laid her down on one of the beds and hurried over to a cabinet. He tried to ignore the whimperings of fear coming from Beatrice. The serum trapped the mind in a prison of it's worst fears. The longer the serum was in her the worse it would get. 

The Master thanked Rassilon he had been working to find an antidote to the serum. All that was needed was a drop of the serum itself. Luckily some liquid remained in the syringe. The Master only hoped that this would work. 

He moved to the side of the bed he had placed Beatrice on. There was a look of terror on her face and she was still shaking. Now more vigorously than before. The Master injected the serum into her arm hoping that it would work. 

Author's note: Sorry about the delay. I had some serious writer's block. But I promise to update again soon this week. I just needed to find a way to get them out of the situation. Please like and COMMENT. I enjoy reading what you all have to say so if you can take some time to let me know your thoughts I would appreciate it. I also hope you guys like the new cover for the story. Until next time Whovians.


	28. Stay or Go

The Master watched in relief as Beatrice's body slowly began to relax the tremors in her body subsided. Her eye flew open and she sat up.

"Master!" she cried.

"It's alright my dear," he said soothingly as he gently placed his hand on her temple.

"Rest, I'll be here when you wake." Beatrice seemed to submit to the subtle telepathic suggestion. Careful he laid her back down. The Master then pulled a chair over and took a seat next to her. Taking Beatrice's hand in his he tenderly caressed the back of it with his thumb.

The Master sighed as he gazed at his sleeping lover. That had been a close call. Though her life might not have immediately been on the line, he dreaded to think the terror she would have felt had the drug injected in her had longer to work.

His carelessness had led to her being hurt for no other reason than being associated with him. Her position as his companion, and of course more, would mean she would be a target as long as she stayed with him.

There were few things the Master feared but the death of Beatrice was the one he worried for most. Particularly if it was his fault.

He couldn't put a date to when he had first grown to care for her. But he did know that it hadn't been until he was about to lose her that he finally allowed himself to accept those feelings. 

Since Beatrice had entered his life she had awakened inside him happiness he had long ceased to believe he could feel. She saw him for what he was. But accepted him regardless of the darkness and cruelty within him. Rassilon only knows why.

He ran a hand through her silky locks as he came to a very difficult decision. As much as it pained him she had to go. He would miss everything about her, from her bright smile to her kind heart.

A part of him wished nothing more than to keep her with him for eternity. But that was not an option. He had to send her away for her own safety. He only hoped she wouldn't hate him forever for forcing her to leave. Maybe one day she could forgive him.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master sighed as he set the coordinates into the console. It had been a day or so since Beatrice the incident with Astoria and the fear serum. Beatrice had spent most of the time resting as the fear serum had sapped a lot of her energy. 

As he was thinking the very subject of his musings entered the console room. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.

"So, where are we headed?" asked Beatrice as she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm dropping you off at your apartment.

"Oh. Time for me to get out of the way so you can start another one of your plans." she sounded slightly disappointed but understanding. The Master felt his chest tighten.

He could tell her she was right. It would be simple to drop her off and simply never return. But no. That wasn't an option. The time when he could lie to her was long gone. She trusted him and he couldn't bring himself to break that trust. He respected and cared for her too much. The Master forced himself to look her in the eye.

"No my dear. I'm dropping you off for good." He told her. Confusion filled her face and her hand dropped from his shoulder.

"What? Why?" The Master sighed.

"We always knew this had to end. That time has come," he said shortly. 

"No," said Beatrice slipping between him and the console. "You aren't getting rid of me without giving me a proper reason," she said in a sharp tone. The Master saw a fiery determination in her eyes. A determination that he had come to admire.

"You aren't safe with me." Her brow furrowed.

"That isn't anything particularly new. I'm not safe at UNIT either. I'm well aware of the risk and I've accepted it."

"The difference between travelling with me and working for UNIT is that a mere agent there's no reason to target you. With me, people will go after you purely to get to me. You saw Astoria. She took you and used that fear serum to get revenge on me." the Master felt his voice rising.

"But I'm fine. I'm alive. There's always been this danger. What's changed now?" Beatrice's voice was also rising as she 

"Because I've come to realize that your own survival has miraculously come to mean more to me than my own! I will not be responsible for your death! I can't be!"

"You won't be! It isn't your decision if I choose to stay!" 

"For the love of Rassilon Beatrice, I'm giving you a way out! Why won't you leave? Why can't you care about your own safety for once you ridiculous human!" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He saw the hurt on Beatrice's face as tears came into her eyes. The Master closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He loathed that he was the one causing her such distress.

"I'm sorry that was uncalled for." Beatrice's voice was soft when she spoke

"Is that what you want? Do you really wish me to leave?" The Master took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"If I had my way, you would never leave me," he told her gently. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want to leave you. We're already on borrowed time." she pulled away slightly so she could look at him. "Please don't make me leave," her tone was pleading as were her eyes.

He had seen that look before often on the faces of those who ended up on the receiving end of his schemes. 

People pleading for him to let them go. Yet here was this brilliant, kind, and beautiful young woman, pleading to stay. What was left of his determination to send her away crumbled as he stared into her eyes. Gently he raised his hand to caress her face.

"My Beatrice. My foolish, wonderful Beatrice," he murmured 

"Always yours," she said softly. He pulled her close burying his face in her hair which carried its usual scent of vanilla. He couldn't let her go. Not yet. And Rassilon help any soul who tried to take her from him. 

Author's note: Well, Beatrice won't let him get rid of her so easily. I will be covering Frontier in Space next which will obviously be the last Doctor Who episode included. This also means my updates should be pretty regular as I will have a script to follow so keep checking for updates. Please like and COMMENT. One of the best parts about writing this story is hearing your reactions. Until next time Whovians!


	29. Frontier in Space Part 1

Beatrice walked into the Doctor's laboratory. The Master had dropped her off about two weeks ago not that this worried Beatrice too much. Although she had made him swear not to go off and leave her for good. She remembered how panicked she had felt when he tried to send her away. Foolish man. Nobel wasn't a good look on him.

There was a wheezing sound and the TARDIS appeared in a corner of the room. The door of the police box opened and Jo stepped out. 

"Beatrice!" the blond said, smiling as she hugged her. 

"Hello Jo, been off on some adventures?" Beatrice asked. 

"Oh yes, we just came back from being trapped in this thing called a bioscope. It was quite the experience." 

"Well, I'm glad to see you again. The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Hello Beatrice, I assume you've been keeping busy while we've been away." Beatrice felt herself blush slightly knowing what he was implying.

"Well, yes. I suppose you could put it that way," she said with a small smile.

The door to the lab opened and Sargent Benton stepped inside.

"Ah, Doctor! The Brigadier wants to see you about some paperwork. He asked me to come and find you. 

"Yes, well, tell the Brigadier I'll be along in a minute." Benton nodded and left.

"Beatrice, Jo, what do suppose we just take a brief trip in the TARDIS?" he suggested already heading back into the police box.

"You mean to avoid the Brigadier?" asked Beatrice with a smirk as she and Jo followed him.

"Quite."

"I'm not sure," said Beatrice. Knowing the Doctor they could end up anywhere. 

"Come on Bea!" said Jo. Beatrice smiled at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Alright." 

"Fantastic!" said the Doctor as he closed the doors and pulled a lever on the console which caused the centre cylinder to move up and down as they dematerialized. A few seconds after they had left the TARDIS shook causing both Jo and Beatrice to grab the console to keep their balance.

"What's happening Doctor?" asked Jo as the man in question quickly moved around the console pressing buttons and glancing at the monitor on which there appeared a large grey spaceship"

"It looks like we're on course to crash into it," said the Doctor as the TARDIS gave another shake.

"What?" said Beatrice in slight alarm. She saw Jo close her eyes in fear of the potential impact as the TARDIS continued to try and throw them about. And then it stopped. 

"There, we've landed." said the Doctor opening the door. Jo quickly hurried out while Beatrice and the Doctor followed at a slower pace. Jo gave a huff as she turned to the Doctor.

"I'm never going in that ship again," she said. 

"Come now, be reasonable Jo," said the Doctor. Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"Only you could have a traffic accident in space."

"Well, we didn't hit it did we?" said the Doctor defensively.

"Where are we?" asked Jo. 

"Well, by a rather brilliant last-minute course correction, I've managed to materialise the Tardis inside the spaceship. But to avoid hitting it, I've had to make a random jump back into normal space."

"Terrific, but what do we do now?" asked Beatrice.

"Well, if I'm going to get us back to Earth, I'd better find out where we are. I'll just go and check the instruments." he walked back into the TARDIS and Beatrice and Jo began to examine the area around them. They seem to have landed in some sort of cargo hold. there were a set of steps that lead to a railed walkway. Along the walkway, there were several containers. 

"Hmm, they're carrying bulk flour," said Jo as she read one of the labels

Beatrice walked over to a porthole and sees another spaceship nearby. Suddenly there was a blinding flash accompanied by a piercing noise. Jo looked shocked by the ship, although why Beatrice wasn't sure.

"Doctor?" called Jo. The Doctor walked back out carrying a notebook.

"Well, I think I know where we are," he said. "And I've got a pretty good idea about when."

"Come and take a look at this," said Beatrice. The Doctor walked over

"Look at what?"

"That," said Jo pointing at the ship outside.

"Well, it's just a space ship. You know, I reckon we must be somewhere in the twenty-sixth century. Well, interstellar travel's pretty routine by now." The Doctor sounded unconcerned.

"A moment ago, it seemed to change shape," explained Jo.

"What?" asked Beatrice. The Doctor's brow furrowed.

"It was when I heard that noise. Didn't you hear it?" asked Jo.

"I heard the noise but nothing happened," said Beatrice.

"I did hear something, but very faintly. Come on, Jo. Let's go and find the crew. I want to find the exact date for my calculations."

"Doctor, it's coming straight at us!" said Jo in panic. Beatrice saw she was right the ship outside was coming towards the ship they were on.

"What?" said the Doctor sharply. He took a look outside. "Well, that's interesting. They must be going to do a link-up."

"What for?" asked Jo.

"Well, the two ships are joined together by a sort of tunnel, you see, with two airlocks. Well, then they equalise the pressure allowing the crew to move from one ship to the other without using spacesuits. Well, otherwise they'd have to get all kitted up and do a spacewalk."

"Clever," said Beatrice, impressed by the design.

"Fascinating, but let's get back to the TARDIS," said Jo.

"Look, Jo, don't worry. We'll be on our way soon. Now let's go and take look at the ship's calendar." said the Doctor patting Jo's shoulder.

"Let's hope we don't run into any trouble," said Beatrice though she knew that just as with the Master, trouble tended to find the Doctor quite easily.

The Doctor walked ahead of them. Beatrice paused to tighten the laces on her boot. There was a shout and Jo hurried around the corner. Beatrice followed quickly. She saw a man in a dark yellow uniform holding a gun and staring at the Doctor in fear. Jo had her face buried in the Doctor's shoulder.

"A Drashig!" she said. Beatrice was confused about what the fuss was about. 

"Nonsense, it's simply a man with a gun," said the Doctor. Jo calmed down. 

"Don't try anything," said the guard. 

"Very well, take us to your Captain." said the Doctor. The man continued to point the gun at them as he marched them through the corridors and into what appeared to be a control room where a man dressed in similar garb, Beatrice assumed he was the Captain, was talking to a scaly humanoid with a conical head via some sort of monitor.

"I found these two Dragons in the hold," said the guard who had found them.

"But that's impossible. They're only just locking on" replied the other man.

"Doctor, what's happening? What's going on?" asked Jo.

"That's what I want to know," added Beatrice. 

"I'm not sure. Something rather intriguing," the Doctor replied.

"If you resist, we can destroy you with our neutronic weapons," said the figure on the screen.

"If you destroy our ship, you won't get the cargo," replied the Captain

"Oh, so that's what it's all about," said the Doctor

"Open the hatch to your airlock or we shall enter your ship by force," the alien on the screen ordered.

"We refuse," replied the Captain.

"They can blow us to pieces!" said the guard with the gun.

"I've sent a message to Earth asking for help," the Captain told him.

"Tell them about the prisoners," encouraged the guard.

"We have captured two of your soldiers. They will not survive if you enter our ship." the Captain turned back to the guard. "Lock them in the hold." The guard nudged the Doctor's arm with the tip of his gun.

"Move! Get moving!"

"Keep your hair on, we're going," muttered Beatrice. They were led to a small metal room with a bench on the wall.

"Listen..." began the Doctor.

"In!" said the guard and the Doctor entered behind Beatrice and Jo. The door slammed shut and was bolted.

"Doctor, what's happening on this ship? Are they both mad or am I? First I see a Drashig and..." Jo paused when the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. "No, you can put that away. Bolts. And why do they keep calling us Dragons?" The Doctor took a seat next to Jo and Beatrice.

"Well, that's the way they see us, I suppose."

"Yes, but why Dragons?" asked Beatrice in confusion. She was fairly certain nobody in their right mind would confuse a human being, or in the Doctor's case humanoid, with a dragon.

"It's got to be some non-human life form. Something that they're frightened of. Dragons. Dragons. Yes, of course, Draconians." 

"Draconians? Isn't draconian a term meaning excessively severe or harsh?"

"That's the definition of the word as you humans use it. But, if this is the period that I think it is, there are two great empires spreading their way through the galaxy of the Milky Way.

"Empires? You mean like Solos?" suggested Jo.

"Those were the declining years of Earth's planetary empire. This is just the beginning. Now Earth and Draconia are both been expanding, you see. Colonising one planet after another, and they're sitting on a powder keg."

"One match and that powder keg explodes meaning intergalactic war, I presume?" asked Beatrice in a worried tone. If they were in the middle of a potential war then things did not look good for them.

"Correct," said the Doctor.

"Yes, but why do they mistake us for these Dragons?" asked Jo.

"No, Draconians. No, Dragons is rather an unflattering nickname. Well, you remember that sound you both heard?"

"Yes," said Jo while Beatrice nodded.

"And the man that you saw with the gun?"

"Oh no, what I saw was a Drashig!" insisted Jo. Beatrice raised an eyebrow wondering what on earth a Drashig was.

"No, you didn't, Jo. That sound made you see what you fear most."

"How? And why didn't it work on you and me?" asked Beatrice

"Well, it shouldn't be too difficult. Ultrasonics geared to stimulate the fear centres of the brain, something like that. At least on susceptible minds. I suspect your's Beatrice might have some, shall we say...added protection." Beatrice guessed he was referring to the Master conditioning her mind against mental invasion.

"How long does it last? How long before they see that we're just people?" asked Jo.

"Well, difficult to say. It seems to act as a sort of post-hypnotic command. It'll fade eventually, of course." 

"Why should anybody go to all this trouble to make people see things?" asked Beatrice standing up. A small part of her mind wondered if the Master might be involved given the hypnosis aspect. 

"Why indeed?" agreed the Doctor.

"Well, we've got to get out of here somehow," said Jo.

"I'm sure we'll find a way out," said Beatrice. A part of her mind wondered if it was healthy that she was getting used to being locked up after all her adventures with the Master.

The Doctor was fiddling with his sonic screwdriver.

"There we go." he said.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" asked Beatrice.

"I'm reversing the polarity of my ultrasonic screwdriver's power source, thereby converting it into an extremely powerful electromagnet." 

"Oh. What good will that do?" asked Jo hopefully.

"You wait and see, Jo." The Doctor pointed the screwdriver out of the door grill. There was a scraping sound.

"Is it working?" asked Jo. Beatrice smiled at the Doctor's ingenuity.

"Yes, I think so." the Doctor said. The scraping sound stopped. 

"Well, that wasn't too difficult," said Beatrice.

"Indeed," the Doctor. He opened the door only to be faced with the guard from earlier.

"Oh, how embarrassing. Good afternoon," the Doctor politely said as he made to close the door again. The guard stopped the door and pointed his gun at them.

"Out!" he ordered.

"That's just where we were going," said Jo in a slightly sarcastic tone. Beatrice wondered if her own sarcasm was rubbing off on the younger woman.

"We're going to meet your friends," the guard said sharply.

"Unless the Brigadier and company suddenly became space pirates I doubt friends is the proper term," muttered Beatrice to Jo who gave a small smile despite the seriousness of the situation.

They were marched back to the corridor where they had been first apprehended. The cargo bay door had sparks and smoke coming from it as something attempted to force it open. The captain stood with his gun pointing at it. The guard pushed the three of them to the front like human shields.

"Get in front! If your friends start shooting, they'll get you first." order the guard.

"But they're not our friends!" insisted Jo.

"As we've been telling you since we got here!" added Beatrice. She had a feeling the three of them were going to be denying this accusation quite a few more times before this adventure was over. At the moment though her worry levels were spiking. She positioned herself slightly in front of Jo.

"You are part of their boarding party," insisted the Captain.

"Well, they haven't boarded yet. They're still breaking through that door. Now, try and be logical man," said the Doctor who despite the rather tense situation sounded exasperated.

"They're coming through!" said the guard in panic. The broke down and several large hairy creatures that looked a bit like humanoid gorillas with guns entered. One of them shot the guard who collapsed.

"Ogrons!" cried Jo as the creatures began entering the ship, aiming their guns at the four humans and the Timelord.

Author's Note: There we are. Part One of Frontier in Space. It looks from the script like these next chapters are going to be a bit longer than usual so I may try and do some time skips. Please like and COMMENT. Your notes are always great motivation to continue with the story so let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading. Until next time Whovians!


	30. Frontier in Space Part 2

The Doctor grabbed the captain's arm and threw him against the Ogrons.  
"Back to the Tardis!" ordered the Doctor and the three of them made a run back to the cargo hold. Unfortunately, another shot hit the Doctor in the back and he fell to the ground.  
"Doctor!" cried Jo and Beatrice simultaneously. Before they could do anything several of the Ogrons came round the corner. They grabbed Jo and Beatrice who both struggled, though it did little good, and threw them back into the cell they had previously occupied. Although Beatrice noticed they didn't bolt it. Not that this helped much.  
One of the Ogrons stood guard as they began taking the cargo.  
"Jo! Are you alright?" asked Beatrice as she helped her friend to her feet.  
"Yes, but what about the Doctor? Is he dead?" asked Jo fearfully.  
"I'm not sure, I can't tell from here if his chest is moving," replied Beatrice.  
"Oh no! They're taking the TARDIS!" Jo cried out. Beatrice gasped. Sure enough, the Ogrons were now removing the blue police box. Beatrice was at a loss for what to do.  
The Ogrons finished loading and left. Beatrice quickly opened the door and both she and Jo rushed to the Doctor's side. Beatrice felt his pulse it was still beating, if slightly fainter than would be normal."  
"He's alive Jo," she said and the young blond woman looked slightly relieved. The Doctor's eyes flew open and he slowly sat up.  
"Jo? Beatrice?" he asked.  
"Right here Doctor," said Beatrice.  
"We worried they'd killed you!" said Jo as she and Beatrice helped the Timelord up.  
"It must have been some sort of neuronic stun gun," said the Doctor. "I wonder why they didn't kill me. What happened?"  
"They shot you, threw us in that cell, stole the cargo and the TARDIS, then left," Beatrice explained.  
"We're stranded. What do we do?" asked Jo.  
"Try and get the TARDIS back. The question is why the Ogrons should attack the ship," said the Doctor.  
"To steal the cargo?" suggested Beatrice.  
"No. There's more to this than that. The sound you two heard. It was too sophisticated for the Ogrons."   
"Well, they're gone now," said Jo.  
"Yes, the question is, where?" replied the Doctor. Jo straightened slightly as if an idea had just come to her.  
"Hey, Doctor, last time we met the Ogrons they were working for the Daleks, right? Well, you don't suppose that that..." The Doctor shook his head cutting her off.   
"No, no, not necessarily. No, the Ogrons are mercenaries. Other life forms use them to do their dirty work. Come on you two, let's go and find the crew." They made their way back to the area where the Ogrons had entered. Beatrice made a mental note to ask Jo about when the hell she had run into Daleks.  
They found the guard and the captain lying unconscious on the floor in front of the now-closed airlock   
"Beatrice, Jo, take a look at the guard," ordered the Doctor. Beatrice knelt and felt the guard's pulse.   
"Just stunned," said Beatrice.  
"This one as well, just as I was." stated the Doctor as he walked over to the airlock.  
"That's funny - the Ogrons have repaired the airlock door."  
"Well, that was nice of them," Beatrice said sarcastically.   
"Well, if they hadn't, we'd have both been done for. All the air would have escaped when the ships unlocked," explained the Doctor.  
"Why should they go to all that trouble?" asked Jo.   
"Well, maybe they've got kind hearts. There's good in everyone you know," said the Doctor. Beatrice scoffed in disbelief.  
"You and your optimism."   
"I'm not sure you're one to talk," the Doctor replied raising an eyebrow and giving her a meaningful look. Beatrice rolled her eyes. Suddenly a voice was heard coming from the radio in the bridge of the ship.   
"Earth Battle Cruiser to Earth cargo ship number C982. We are now approaching you. Do you read me?"   
"Look after them, will you?" asked the Doctor indicating the two unconscious men.  
"Right," said Jo. The Doctor walked off.  
"What did he mean when he said you aren't one to talk?" asked Jo. Beatrice cleared her throat.  
"I'm sure I don't have the faintest idea. You know the Doctor can be a bit nonsensical at times."  
"Really?" said Jo sounding slightly suspicious. Before the conversation could head into more dangerous waters they were interrupted by the guard and the Captain waking.  
"How are you feeling?" asked Jo.  
"I'm not sure." said the Captain. There were footsteps and the Doctor returned.  
"It's alright. We're being rescued."  
"What happened?" asked the Captain   
"You were knocked out," said Beatrice bluntly.  
"Well, don't worry, old chap. You'll be all right now. I think..." The airlock door began to open and the Captain began to panic.   
"Draconians! They're boarding!" Two men in grey and red puffy futuristic space suits with guns entered.  
"Stewart?" said one of the men to the Captain before pointing his gun at the Doctor.  
"Who are you?"   
"Passengers" replied the Doctor.  
"I see. Having a fancy dress party?" the man turned back to Captain Stewart. "What happened?"  
"Dragons - attacked us."  
"Did they get the cargo?" asked the who seemed to be the leader.  
"I don't know, Gardiner," replied Stewart.  
"Yes, they took everything," said Jo helpfully.  
"Including some rather valuable property of mine," added the Doctor.   
"Well, tough luck." said the man who Captain Stewart had called Gardiner.   
"Oh, thank you very much." said the Doctor in a slightly annoyed tone. The guard who had first found the three of them stood shakily.  
"Dragons...they attacked us."  
"Yes, we know," said Gardiner. He turned to the Doctor. "You say you're passengers. Isn't that a little unusual on a cargo ship?:  
"Well, we're here, aren't we?" Beatrice said defensively.  
"Where did you pick these two up?" asked Gardiner   
"I don't know. I can't seem to remember..." Stewart trailed off.  
"Pull yourself together! How did they get on board?" demanded Gardiner harshly.  
"Stowaways...that's it - they were stowaways. They were sending messages!" said Captain Stewart. The guard from earlier jumped in.  
"That's right - they were helping the Dragons! They're traitors!"   
"Oh for Christ's sake!" said Beatrice in exasperation as blasters were pointed at them.   
"But that's absolute nonsense! Look, we didn't want to be on this ship - it was an accident!" insisted Jo.  
"You said you were passengers?" demanded Gardiner. The Doctor sighed.  
"I was merely trying to avoid a lot of tiresome explanations, old chap."   
"Stewart, I'll leave Kemp on board to take your ship back to Earth. Put those three back in the hold. They can explain themselves to earth security.  
"But we haven't done anything!" said Beatrice.   
"They say you have! Take them away." snapped Gardiner. The man who he had called Kemp pointed his blaster at them.   
"Get moving!"   
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
Once again they found themselves locked in the cell. Both Beatrice and the Doctor had taken the route of quiet acceptance of their current position but Jo was pacing back and forth. Suddenly her face lit up.  
"Right! We'll give it a few minutes, then I'll start groaning and pretending I'm ill. When he comes in, you can use your Venusian karate!"   
"And then what?" asked the Doctor.  
"Then, we'll take his gun, go to the flight deck and make somebody take us back to Earth."  
"Jo? The ship is going back to Earth," pointed out Beatrice. Jo's face fell.  
"Oh... Oh, dear, mm." she continued pacing. After another minute of her pacing, the Doctor finally spoke up again.  
"Will you stop pacing up and down like a perishing panda! Now come and sit down. Let me think, will you?" Jo sat quietly.  
"That's better," said the Doctor.   
"Doctor?" asked Beatrice. "Now the Ogrons have gone, why don't the crewmen remember what really happened? Wouldn't the hypnosis have worn off?"  
"Because the true facts have been erased from their minds, that's why."  
"Well, yes, but why do they keep telling lies about us?" asked Jo.  
"Well, they don't know that they're lying, Jo. They're desperately trying to fit us into their version of things."  
"Well, what's the plan now? Wait till we see someone in authority?" suggested Beatrice.  
"Correct Beatrice, we've got to reach someone in authority whose mind isn't already closed."   
"Closed to what?" asked Jo.  
"Look, these people believe that the Draconians are attacking their spaceships, right?"  
"Right," said Beatrice.  
"And we know that they're wrong, don't we?"   
"Well, yes, it was Ogrons," said Jo nodding.  
"Well, we also know that the Ogrons couldn't possibly have created that hallucinatory device that makes the Earthmen think they're Draconians."   
"So someone far cleverer is pulling the strings," Beatrice said. "Like a puppetmaster". Jo's face lit up.   
"Oh, well that's simple then. I mean, all we've got to do is: find out what's going on, who's behind the Ogrons, where they've taken the TARDIS, go and get it back and then we can all go home - right?" Beatrice smiled at how simple Jo made it sound but didn't want to dampen her spirits.  
"Right." said the Doctor.   
"Oh. I don't know what I've been worrying about..." said Jo cheerfully. Beatrice only hoped things would be simpler once they talked to someone in authority. She doubted it but one could always hope.  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
They had been taken from their cell in the ship once it landed and moved to another holding room in some sort of security building. The corridors were plain and utilitarian. Before leaving the room Gardiner turned to them.  
"Look, I'll give you a piece of advice. Tell them everything. They'll use the mind probe and find out anyway. Make things easier for yourselves." he then left. Beatrice sighed.  
"As if we were trying to make them more difficult. I don't like the idea of someone poking around in my mind though." shivered remembering the War Chief. There was only one person she fully trusted with going inside her mind and he was probably halfway across the galaxy causing chaos.  
"I don't like the sound of it either," said Jo. The Doctor took her hand and guided her to sit next to him and Beatrice.  
"You don't want to worry about those things. As long as you tell 'em the truth, they can't do you any harm."   
"They can't?" said Jo.  
"No, of course not. Well, they're a sort of computers with a few extra knobs on. And you know how stupid computers can be, don't you?"   
"You have a point, computers are usually just extremely sophisticated idiots," said Beatrice trying to help comfort the worried Jo.  
"Did I ever tell you two the story about how I was once captured by the Medusoids?"  
"What are they?" asked Jo.  
"How can I describe them to you? Well, they're a hairy jellyfish with claws, teeth and a leg." Jo wrinkled her nose.  
"Eurgh!"  
"Anyway, they put me under one of these mind probes things, you see, and tried to get me to tell them where I was going. So, I said I was on my way to meet a giant rabbit, a pink elephant and a purple horse with yellow spots." Beatrice smiled and Jo giggled.  
"What happened?" asked Beatrice.  
"Well, the poor old machine just couldn't believe it - had a nervous breakdown. So, they put me under another one of these mind probe things and the same thing happened." Jo looked confused.  
"But you weren't telling the truth - I mean, you weren't really going to meet a giant rabbit, a pink elephant and a...? What was it?"   
"A purple horse with yellow spots. Yes, I was. You see, they were all delegates for the third Intergalactic Peace Conference." The three of them burst out laughing.   
"How did you get away," choked out Beatrice.  
"Well, they had to turn me loose eventually."  
"Why?" asked Jo.  
"They ran out of mind probes!" this sent them all into more fits of laughter.  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
After what seemed like an eternity they were removed from the cell and taken to a large white room. A telescreen took up part of one wall. Behind a glass desk a woman with dark hair in an orange dress sat with her hands folded.  
Next to her was a grim man with short dark hair and who was wearing a gold buttoned tunic with a ridiculous high collar that looked like he had stolen it from the Disney Princess, Snowwhite.  
By the door stood two of the same Lizard like creatures as they had seen on the monitor back on the ship. Beatrice assumed they were Draconians. They wore dark green regal robes with winged shoulders. One of them who Beatrice guessed was the leader had a gold pendant around his neck.  
"Now these people stowed away on the cargo ship. They transmitted signals which enabled your battlecruiser to home in on its prey." said the woman.  
"I know nothing of this," said the Draconian leader.  
"Perhaps you do not, but some servant of the Draconian empire employed them."  
"Madam? I can assure that I've never been employed by anybody! Least of all by the Draconians." protested the Doctor.  
"We have nothing to do with the Draconian's as we've told your guards, multiple times," added Beatrice.  
"Your servants should have been better rehearsed in their lies," said the Draconian leader with a smile.  
"Or they're showing a misguided loyalty to their Draconian masters," said the man with the Snowwhite collar.   
"If we really were working for the Draconians, why did they leave us in your ship?" countered the Doctor.  
"To act as spies when you were brought back to Earth." the man replied. Beatrice sighed and closed her eyes praying for patience.   
"Allow me to congratulate you, sir. You have the most totally closed mind that I've ever encountered!" said the Doctor he turned to the woman. "Madam, I beg of you to listen to me. Some third-party is trying to provoke a war between Earth and Draconia. You are both being duped."  
"Take them away," the man with the gold collar ordered. Beatrice raised an eyebrow at how quickly he wanted to get them out of there. The woman raised her hand to stop the guards.  
"Just a minute, please. Why should a third party wish to do this?"  
"I've no idea, Madam, but believe me, that is what is happening." said the Doctor.  
"Take them away!" the man ordered again more harshly. They were grabbed by soldiers who started to drag them away.   
"Now please listen to me! If you don't you'll be involved in a war that could cause the death millions!" protested the Doctor. His protests were ignored as they were taken away.  
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
They hadn't been in there long before one of the guards entered.  
"On your feet." The Doctor looked at him sceptically.  
"Mmm, why?"   
"You heard me - move."  
"And you heard us, not unless you give some good reason."  
"The President wants you. Is that good enough?" Jo looked hopeful.  
"Perhaps she believed you!" They all stood.  
"Are you sure it's the President? Not another ridiculous interrogation." asked the Doctor.  
"I said move!" ordered the guard.  
"Come on, you two, Perhaps we can convince them after all."  
"I just wish they'd make up their minds about where they want us to be," muttered Beatrice. She was getting sick of being put in prison, taken out, told she was lying, and then getting thrown right back in prison.  
They were marched out and were making their way across an open part of the fortress when suddenly one of their guards fell dead. Shot in the head. The Doctor pushed Jo and Beatrice out of the way.  
The Doctor made to run with them but one of the Draconians pressed a gun to his neck.  
"Run!" the Doctor ordered. Beatrice grabbed Jo's hand and they ran. They were quickly pursued and grabbed by what remained of their guard.  
"But you don't understand! The Doctor's in trouble!" cried Jo. Beatrice felt fear fill her. They didn't have the Doctor now. He was in trouble and they were alone among enemies who wouldn't listen to them.   
What are we to do?  
Author's note: There's part 2 looks like trouble is brewing. Just a warning, these chapters will be longer than normal. I did borrow the computers are idiots line from the fourth doctor. (Maybe he heard it from Bea and used it later). Please Like and COMMENT. Thanks so much for reading. I'll update soon. Until next time Whovians!


	31. Frontier in Space Part 3

Jo and Beatrice were taken by the guards to the President's office while the Draconian's took away the Doctor. They were greeted by the sight of the President and the General who appeared to have just finished an argument. The President looked incredibly stressed. Although much of the sympathy Beatrice would have felt for her was mitigated by the fact that she hadn't believed them.  
"Come forward, my dears," she said kindly. Jo and Beatrice approached, Jo slightly nervously while Beatrice maintained an air of defiance.   
"You realise that the escape of your colleague has left you in a very serious position?" asked the President.  
"But he didn't escape - he was kidnapped!" exclaimed Jo.  
"He was rescued - by your Draconian paymasters," replied the General coldly.  
"As if," scoffed Beatrice.  
"The wisest course you can take now is to make a full confession. Remember your colleague has left you to your fate." recommended the President.  
"Oh, but you've got it all wrong! You see, the Doctor was pleased when you sent for him because he wanted to talk to you. And..." Jo was cut off by the General.   
"We have eye witness reports on what occurred."   
"We need to know how you came to work for the Draconians." said the President not unkindly.  
"When were you recruited? How many agents do they have on Earth? What are their plans?" Demanded the General. Beatrice could see Jo beginning to get overwhelmed.  
"If you tell us everything, I'll promise I'll see to it personally that you will be treated leniently." suggested the President as if a game of good cop/bad cop was going on.  
"Well that's just not going to happen is it?" said Beatrice stepping closer.  
"I beg your pardon?" said the President.  
"You won't get a confession out of us. We have only told you the truth since we set foot on earth. But you won't believe us. The only thing we can tell you that you will believe is a false confession. And I can assure you neither of us intends on giving one. You are so convinced of one idea that you refuse to accept even the possibility that we might be telling the truth. "  
"How dare..." began the General, but Beatrice talked over him. She was fed up with being accused of things she hadn't done. Her voice rose.  
"I must say for a President and General who as supposedly trying to maintain peace your close-minded attitudes are going a long way to prevent it! We have told you all we know. We don't work for Draconians. We don't want anything to do with a potential war. And we did not help to attack the cargo ship. So if all you are going to do is tell us to confess and that we're lying you might as well leave us in our cell and quit wasting time!   
"We're wasting time. I suggest you let me apply depth interrogation techniques without delay." said the General.  
"Look, you can use your mind probe or whatever - we're telling you the truth," said Jo.  
"Not that it counts for much. You wouldn't believe we were telling the truth if the proof was right in front of you," said Beatrice tersely as she crossed her arms.   
"Take them away. We'll let you think on our admittedly generous offer." said the President. Beatrice sighed in exasperation but said nothing else. They were led back to their cell and the two of them sat down on one of the benches attached to the wall.  
"Well, the Doctor was right. Those are some of the if not the most, close-minded and stubborn people I've ever met."  
"No kidding, and now we don't even have the Doctor. What do you think happened to him?" asked Jo.  
"I haven't the foggiest. Hopefully, he'll turn up soon. It'll take more than a couple of overgrown lizards to get rid of him." Beatrice smiled reassuringly. The door to their cell opened and the Doctor stepped inside.   
"Hello," he said with a small wave.  
"Impeccable timing as ever," said Beatrice with a wry smile.  
"Where have you been?" asked Jo.  
"I've been paying a brief but unwilling visit to the Draconian embassy. And I'm afraid I had to leave in rather a hurry and found myself back here."  
"I don't suppose they are any keener on believing us than the representatives of Earth are?" asked Beatrice without much hope.  
"I've afraid not. They think we're working for General Williams and trying to provoke a war." This last part didn't surprise Beatrice. She had been suspicious of the General for a while and wouldn't have been surprised if he were involved in trying to provoke war. Not that it eliminated the possibility of a third party.  
"Oh no!" said Jo slumping on the bench. The Doctor sat down.  
"Yes, Earth is blaming Draconia and Draconia is blaming Earth."  
"And both sides are blaming us," added Jo. Suddenly, both Beatrice and Jo stiffened. The faint whirring sound from the cargo ship was back.  
"What's the matter?" asked the Doctor.   
"Well, that sound...the one I heard on the cargo ship. I think I can hear it again," said Jo.  
"As can I," said Beatrice. Suddenly shots were heard outside the door and two Ogrons came bursting through. All three of them stood and Jo screamed in shock. Beatrice's eyes widened as the ape-like creatures came through the door.  
"You, come with us," ordered the Ogron in broken English. Given that it had a gun the three of them had no choice but to comply. They were led out of the building but just as they exited a shot rang out and one of the Ogrons fell down. The Doctor grabbed Jo and Beatrice and they ran to take cover behind a wall.  
"That was close," said Jo. The was a noise behind them and they turned to find an Earth guard pointing his gun at them.  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
This time after being taken back to a cell the Doctor was sent away and Beatrice and Jo were instructed to change into black prison uniforms that looked like a cross between a dressing gown and a martial arts outfit.   
The fabric was at least relatively soft and they were permitted to keep their shoes. In Beatrice's case her usual heeled victorian lace-up boots and in Jo's case ridiculously high heeled black gogo boots.  
"You know maybe we should have been more helpful to the Ogrons," said Beatrice dryly.  
"Why?" asked Jo.  
"At least they might have taken us to the TARDIS."  
"I see. So now our only hope is to wait for those jolly old Ogrons to turn up again," said Jo with mock cheerfulness. Beatrice smiled slightly.  
"Yes, barring another kidnapping attempt I don't see any way out at this point."   
"I suppose not," said Jo. They both fell silent. Beatrice was at least glad if the Doctor couldn't be with them that the guards hadn't separated her and Jo. She hated to think what might happen if all three of them were separated. Then there would be no chance of getting home. Her musings were interrupted by a familiar voice speaking in her mind.   
"Beatrice?"   
"Master?" she replied in disbelief.   
"Who else?" Beatrice had to stop herself from smiling at the teasing tone of the Master's voice.  
"Are you here at the Earth embassy? You'd have to be for us to be in telepathic communication, wouldn't you?"  
"Correct my dear, I'm about to discuss the release of yourself and Miss Grant with the President."  
"Good luck. They're a bunch of stubborn fools who wouldn't believe the truth if it bit them on the arse. Particularly that General Williams." Beatrice heard the Master chuckle.  
"Well, I won't be telling them the truth, will I? So that shouldn't be a problem."  
"I suppose not. Good luck then." She didn't receive a reply but was comforted slightly by the knowledge that she and Jo would soon be free of this place. At least the Master she could handle.  
"You know Jo. Maybe that kidnapping idea isn't so far-fetched after all," she said with a small smile.  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Master hadn't expected to have the Ogrons return with the Doctor's TARDIS and was even more surprised when they reported that Beatrice was with the Doctor. Of course, he had immediately created false criminal histories for Beatrice, Miss Grant, and the Doctor. As well as forge credentials so it appeared he was a commissioner of the colony Sirius Four.  
Not exactly difficult work. The real trick was going to be convincing the President to release the three travelers into his custody.  
The Master had had to resist laughing at the annoyed tone in which Beatrice described General Williams and the President. He had a feeling the two had been given a taste of his dear Beatrice's rather sharp tongue. Having been on the receiving end of it a few times he didn't envy the individual who angered her. Never irritate a Scottish redheaded female.  
This ran through his head as he entered the President's office and bowed.  
"Madame President, an honour," he said politely.  
"Please sit down commissioner," said the President, and the Master took a seat in front of her desk.   
"Now I'm here to discuss the release of three of your prisoners."  
"They are spies of the Draconian empire. We must keep them in custody until they confess to their crimes," said General Williams.  
"Yes, although from what I hear that hasn't been working very well," said the Master slyly. The General looked affronted and the Master smirked. So Beatrice had given them a piece of her mind.  
"You must see this is a difficult position for us," said the President.  
"Truly, Madam President, I sympathize with your position. But my government has sought these criminals throughout the galaxy." lied the Master easily.   
"There are now prisoners of the government of Earth. That's good enough," said General Williams coldly.  
"With the greatest respect, General Williams, I must disagree. They are citizens of Sirius 4," said the Master politely.  
"Part of Earth's empire," said the General.  
"Yes, but it has been granted dominion status," corrected the Master. Technicalities were always extremely useful.  
"He has a point, General Williams. Once a colony has been raised to dominion status it enjoys certain autonomous rights - including the right to try and punish its own citizens," said the President who seemed slightly more reasonable than the General.  
"Exactly. But I feel assured that once these two have come to trial, my government will be only too happy to send them back to you for further interrogation. But meanwhile, my orders are clear - I must take them back with me to Sirius 4," the Master insisted calmly.   
"I will not hand over vital prisoners to some...tin-pot colony!" said General William's furiously. The Master already knew he had won. There was nothing the General could do to prevent him from collecting The Doctor and his assistants.  
"As the commissioner has pointed out, General Williams, Sirius 4 is no longer a colony. It is a dominion," the President interrupted sternly. She turned back to the Master. "Your request is granted." The Master stood and bowed.   
"Madam President. I am most grateful."   
"Heaven help you if you let them escape!" said General Williams. The Master did his best to limit the smugness in his tone as he said,  
"You may rest assured, General Williams, they will be perfectly safe with me. I'll go see them now then."  
"Take the commissioner to the prisoners." said the President.  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Master was taken to a dreary cell where Beatrice and Miss Grant were being held. The door opened soundlessly and he stepped inside, waiting until the door had slid shut again to speak. Miss Grant was sitting cross-legged on the bench attached to the wall, facing Beatrice who had her legs stretched out with her ankles crossed and her back against the right wall.   
Miss Grant appeared to be deep in thought while Beatrice looked slightly bored with the situation her hand toying with the Gallifreyan pendant around her neck. The Master was pleased to see her wearing it. Beatrice looked over as the door shut as did Miss Grant.  
"You!" said Miss Grant.  
"Well, speak of the literal devil," Beatrice told him. He could tell she was doing her best to keep her reaction mostly neutral around Miss Grant although her lips twitched upward in a small smile.  
"Thank goodness, it's you," he heard her add telepathically.  
"Words never spoken before in regards to me. Normally it's the opposite reaction," he replied.  
"What are you doing here?" asked Miss Grant as the Master drew closer.  
"To coin a phrase - I've come to take you away from all this," he said.  
"Our hero," replied Beatrice dryly. He gave her a small smirk. Miss Grant, on the other hand, looked confused.  
"What are you talking about?" The Master raised an eyebrow.  
"Well, surely you don't want to spend the rest of your life in here, do you?"  
"Well, we're not going anywhere with you - that's for sure," the small blond said defensively.  
"Oh, but you are, you know. Believe it or not, I am a fully accredited commissioner from the planet Sirius 4..."  
"Yes, your also a Colonel, a Professor, and a vicar." cut in Beatrice with a smirk of her own. The Master continued.  
"Indeed I am, and you Miss Grant, and the Doctor are two dangerous criminals being handed over into my custody.   
"So it was you! You ordered those Ogrons to attack the ships and pretend they were Draconians!" said Jo.  
"I knew you had something to do with this," Beatrice told him as she swung her legs off the bench.  
"Of course! Those lumbering idiots could never have thought up such a brilliant scheme by themselves."  
"Brilliant's one word for it," he heard Beatrice say in his mind.  
"Why did you want to start a war?" asked Jo.  
"Because he wants to cause trouble and war certainly fits the bill when it comes to causing mass chaos," Beatrice told Miss Grant.  
"You flatter me Beatrice."   
"No, I just know you too well."  
"That you do my dear."  
"Now, come on, Miss Grant, be reasonable. You want to see the Doctor again, don't you?" the Master reasoned.  
"Where is he?" asked Beatrice as she stood.  
"He's in another prison, on the moon. We're going to collect him." explained the Master  
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" asked Miss Grant   
"You don't. And the only way you'll find out is by coming with me."  
"What do you think Beatrice?" asked Miss Grant.  
"I don't think we have any other option but to go with him. Besides, the Devil you know is better than the one you don't," said Beatrice.  
"I suppose." Miss Grant said as she stood. "One last question. Why are you taking us with you?" The Master smiled slightly sinisterly.  
"Oh, need you ask? How could I leave two dear friends in such dire straights?" at this Miss Grant scoffed.  
"Oh, you don't seriously think that I'm going to believe that you want to help us...?!" The Master interrupted her. Tired of attempting to politely convince her to come with him.  
"Believe what you think, Miss Grant, I have my reasons! Now, are you coming, or do you really wish to vegetate in this hole for the rest of your natural?" Miss Grant nodded.  
"Very well. I guess Beatrice is right. I'll come."  
"Excellent!" said the Master pressing the call button causing the door to slide open, revealing the guard.  
"The prisoners and I are ready to leave now, guard." He gestured for Miss Grant to leave first.  
"Anywhere is better than here," she told him before stepping outside. Beatrice fell into step next to him.  
"I assume I'm one of those reasons you mentioned?" she asked him telepathically, a small smile on her face.  
"But of course," he replied. Her hand briefly brushed his as they walked and he shot her a brief, small smile of his own. He was glad to have her back by his side.  
Author's Note: Well, there's part 3 for you. Thank goodness for the Master. Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far. I should be making updates sooner now that I have more free time. I do like to wait a few days for feedback from my readers so if you can please like and COMMENT I would really appreciate it. It goes a long way towards making this book the best it can possibly be. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks for reading. Until next time Whovians!


	32. Frontier in Space Part 4

The Master and one of the Earth guards escorted Beatrice and Miss Grant to his stolen spaceship. Once they were on board he took them to one of the holding areas. The room had a large cage in the centre with bunks on either end. The Master gestured for Miss Grant to enter but held out his arm to stop Beatrice going inside. The guard locked the cage and then left.  
"I wish to have a word with you," He said turning to her. Of course, he had no intention of actually putting her in there. But one did have to keep up appearances.  
"No! Beatrice! What are you going to do to her?" demanded Miss Grant.  
"As I said I have something I wish to discuss with her," said the Master shortly.  
"It's fine Jo. I can handle one crazy renegade timelord," said Beatrice stepping closer to the cage and taking Miss Grant's hand.   
"Can you, my dear?" asked the Master.  
"Yes I can," replied Beatrice before turning back to Miss Grant. "It'll be fine I promise."  
"I assure you, Miss Grant, no harm will come to your friend. It would be counterproductive to get rid of one of the Doctor's assistant's before he's even arrived. Miss Grant still looked anxious but the Master didn't give her time to continue arguing and instead placed his hand on Beatrice's arm and guided her from the room and to the flight deck.  
There were two seats in front of the control panel and he gestured for Beatrice to take one of them while he sat down in the other.   
"I'd advise you sit down while we take off," he told her and she did so.  
"I think you scared poor Jo a bit more than you needed to. She's probably terrified that you're going to do something awful to me," she said in a playfully scolding tone.  
"I do have a reputation to maintain, my dear," he replied as he shot her a small smile. She gave an exasperated sigh.  
"I suppose so," the ship vibrated slightly as it took off. The Master set the coordinates for the autopilot and swivelled his chair to face Beatrice who stood up and walked over to him before sitting sideways in his lap wrapping he right arm around his neck. He moved his left hand to rest on her waist.   
"Thank you for getting us out of there. If I had been forced to go through one more pointless interrogation I was going to tell that General Williams exactly where he could shove his false confession!" the Master chuckled and entwining the fingers of his right hand with those of her left.  
"Your welcome my dear. I couldn't very well leave you. Not to mention this fits in with my plans rather well."   
"Oh, and what exactly is your plan beyond just causing a war between two extremely temperamental empires?" she asked with a small smirk. The Master rolled his eyes, he was aware that she knew full well he wouldn't risk his plan by telling her the exact details.  
"I think you already have a general idea," he said vaguely.  
"Ah well, had to try," she said with mock disappointment.  
"What I'm wondering is why you were travelling with the Doctor." Beatrice's involvement had been what surprised him most. The idea of Beatrice travelling with anyone else, especially the Doctor annoyed him slightly.  
"Jealous? she asked arching an eyebrow. The Master scoffed at the ridiculous notion.   
"Hardly my dear. Merely curious."  
"The Doctor turned up with his TARDIS at UNIT, he then promptly wanted to leave as soon as the Brigadier sent for him. Jo used puppy dog eyes and convinced me to come along. It was mere chance we ended up on the cargo ship. The Doctor nearly had a traffic accident in space and had to do some emergency course-corrections."  
"I see. How very typical of the Doctor. There is a reason he never passed his TARDIS flying test." Beatrice laughed.  
"Do you mean he's basically the equivalent of a teenager taking their parent's car out for a drive without getting a license? No wonder he can't fly it properly"   
"Quite. That TARDIS of his is actually stolen." the Master informed her with a smirk. Her analogy was both amusing and rather accurate. There was a pinging sound and the Master glanced at the monitor. "Ah, we've arrived at the Doctor's current place of imprisonment."  
With a somewhat reluctant look, Beatrice slid off his lap so he could stand.  
"I suppose you should go get him then. Who knows what trouble he might be getting up to."   
"Very true my dear," he replied before leaning down and giving her a brief kiss. She was smiling when he pulled away. "I will return soon."   
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Master made his way down the corridor of the prison on his way to the office of the prison governor. Suddenly from one of the airlock doors he heard banging and faint shouting. One of the voices undoubtedly belonged to the Doctor.   
He walked over to the door to see that the nob controlling the oxygen inside hand been turned to nearly zero. He quickly switched it back to normal and opened the door. Inside were the Doctor and an old man.   
"I do hope you're alright Doctor," said the Master smugly. It was almost comical how quickly the Doctor's face went from relief and gratitude to dismay and annoyance.  
"You. I might have guessed."  
"I'd hate for you to come to any harm you know." replied the Master. There were footsteps and several guards appeared.  
"I believe we should take these two prisoners to the governor. One of them is extremely significant." The Master told the guards who handcuffed both the Doctor and the old man.  
The Master only hoped the Doctor's escape attempt wouldn't cause to much trouble when it came to attempting to attain custody of the Doctor.  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
"It was a deliberate attempt at cold-blooded murder, Governor. And I demand an enquiry!" The Doctor demanded. The Master stood in a corner watching the proceedings with mild amusement as the Doctor and the old man attempted to convince the Governor that the guard Cross had offered to help them escape and then attempted to kill them.  
"Is there any truth in this?" the Governor asked the guard.  
"No, sir. They stole the suits. Must have messed it up and taken ones with empty cylinders."  
"And I take it we that also locked ourselves in the airlock from the outside and switched off the air supply, mm?" scoffed the Doctor. At this, the Master could not help but chime in.  
"He does have a point there, you know, Governor? Had it not been for my time..." the Governor interrupted him and turned to the Doctor and the old man.   
"You are both guilty of attempting to escape. You'll both be placed in solitary confinement for the next year." At this the Master quickly interceeded. He needed custody of the Doctor for his plans.  
"Er, just a moment, Governor, do what you will with the old man but that one..." he motioned with his paper towards the Doctor, "comes with me." The Governor was busy signing a report.  
"Mmm, out of the question, I'm afraid. He's committed an internal offence and is subject to prison discipline. Take 'em away." The guards let the Doctor and the old man away and Cross also took his leave.  
"You know, I do wish that you'd reconsider, Governor. Obtaining custody of that prisoner is very important to me. And I do have a warrant." The Master held up the warrant papers.  
"Well, it's out of the question, I'm afraid. You see, he's under punishment. When he's completed his solitary confinement, I'll, er, reconsider."   
"I see," said the Master. He began to pace the office. If he couldn't simply convince the Governor based on the warrants perhaps a different tactic was necessary. Fortunately, the Master had a good idea of who was actually responsible for the incident. "You know, I have a theory about this incident."  
"It's no concern of yours," said the Governor dismissively. The Master ignored this comment.  
"I think that those two prisoners were telling the truth. I think that your trusty, Cross, was helping them."   
"Why should he do that?" asked the Governor playing innocent.  
"On your instructions." The Governor looked furious.  
"That is an outrageous suggest..." The Master interrupted him.  
"Oh come, Governor! You rid yourself of a politically dangerous prisoner, and foster the legend that escape is impossible in one go. I must congratulate you. Suppose I were to support the Doctor's demand for an official enquiry? Some very awkward questions could be asked?" The Governor looked slightly agitated. The Master knew for certain he was correct.  
"I have nothing to fear," the Governor insisted. The Master raised an eyebrow.  
"Haven't you? Oh come, Governor. Hand the Doctor over to me...and I promise you he'll be no further trouble to you." The Governor leaned back in his chair.  
"Well, I've no wish to be uncooperative. What would you do with him?"  
"Oh, take him back to Sirius 4 and see that he stands trial." He sighed dramatically. You wouldn't believe the list of crimes he's committed." said the Master casually.   
"Very well, you can take him."  
"Thank you for your cooperation Governor," the Master said with a bow.  
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Governor showed the Master to the solitary confinement cell where the Doctor was being held.  
"I'm releasing you into the custody of this commissioner. He will fly you back to Sirius 4 to stand trial.   
"And may I ask what I'm supposed to have done there?" The Master smirked and cleared his throat opening the papers.   
"Defrauding the Sirius 4 Dominion Bank, evasion of planetary income tax, assault and battery committed upon the person of a Sirius 4 police official, taking a spaceship without authority and piloting the said spaceship without payment of tax and insurance. Landing the said spaceship on an unauthorised area of Sirius 3. Need I go on?"  
"I seem to be quite the master criminal, don't I?" said the Doctor scornfully turning to the Governor. "You don't mean to say that you really believe all this nonsense, do you, Governor? Whatever credentials he's shown you are forged." The Master chuckled knowing the Doctor's attempts to convince the Governor were pointless.  
"Oh come, Doctor, you know the game's up. Why not admit defeat?" he turned to address the Governor. "You know, this man always works with an accomplice - a girl. Two in this case." This got the Doctor's attention and the Master smirked. "I've got them both under lock and key in my ship." The Doctor's eyes widened as he realized the implied threat. "Well, Doctor, are you coming quietly?"  
"Very well," said the Doctor with a sigh.  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Doctor was given time to change from his prison close back into his ridiculous dandy outfit complete with the velvet jacket and ruffles. The Master then marched him at gunpoint back to his ship. As they walked down the hallway. The Doctor spoke.  
"I suppose I should thank you for getting me out of there although I don't doubt that you have something equally nasty planned."  
"You'll see Doctor. You partially have Beatrice to thank. Although I'd prefer it if you could not get my companion into dangerous situations."  
"Like she doesn't get into danger with you," scoffed the doctor.  
"Yes, but normally I'm with her and can mitigate some of the danger," snapped the Master.  
"Fair enough. How are things between you two?" asked the Doctor in a casual tone.  
"Perfectly, fine. Not that it's any of your business. And for future reference, I would appreciate if you could keep your mouth shut when it comes to my past personal life. I didn't appreciate you mentioning Ailla to Beatrice." "Sorry old chap. It must have slipped out. You told her about Ailla?" "Yes. Although while I didn't particularly like having that incident brought up, I must admit Beatrice's reaction and indignation were rather amusing," the Master smiled fondly at the memory.   
"Remarkable woman," said the Doctor.  
"You have no idea," replied the Master softly. He paused, "I tried to send her away." "What?" asked the Doctor in surprise stopping short. The Master also stopped. "There was an incident. The details aren't important. But they opened my eyes to how much danger her association with me places her in. For her own safety, I tried to send her away. But she wouldn't go." "She's stubborn. Like you," said the doctor with a wry smile. The Master shot him a glare though it held less malice than usual. Moment's like this vaguely reminded him of their time together back at the Academy. Back when things were different. Not that he missed those days. That would be ridiculous. "Perhaps," the Master conceded, "I do sometimes wonder at how she can care for me as she does. How she can wish to stay despite knowing who I am and the dangers associated with me."  
"I was wrong." The Doctor said quietly. "I compared your relationship with Beatrice to the one you had with Ailla before she betrayed you. But Beatrice means so much more to you than Ailla ever did."  
"Indeed," replied the Master shortly. "I suppose I ought to thank you for not exposing myself and Beatrice. Although I suspect it was more for her sake than mine." They stopped outside the door to the holding cell. The Doctor sighed. "You're wrong. It wasn't just for her. Despite all you have done I still fondly recall a time when we were close friends. And it is for the person I remember you once being that I stay silent. The person that I see glimpses of when she is around you. This the first time in centuries that I have seen you truly happy and almost content purely because of an emotional connection you share with someone. And I wouldn't ruin that for anything.”  
The Master took in the Doctor's words. He studied the genuine look of compassion on the face of his best enemy. Wanting to loath it but finding himself unable to. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud. He still remembered their childhood with some fondness. Why else had he so often offered the doctor the chance to rule with him? Not that he could let the doctor know. The Master sighed.   
"Don't get sentimental on me Doctor," the Doctor chuckled.   
"I wouldn't dream of it." He paused. "That woman loves you. Don't forget it." The Master didn't reply but instead opened the door.   
"Hello, Jo," the Doctor said cheerfully as they entered  
"Doctor!" she said as the Master unlocked the cage and gestured for the Doctor to enter it. He locked it behind the Doctor.  
"Well, Doctor, this is an interesting reversal. I remember you once visiting me when I was in prison."  
"You know, I'd very much like to know why I'm still alive?"  
"Oh, your health is very precious to me - for the moment. You see, my...my employers are most interested in you," the Master replied.  
"The Ogrons?" asked Miss Grant. The Master scoffed slightly insulted.  
"Miss Grant, please! I employ them."  
"Yes, well whatever it is you're up to, you needn't expect any help from me," said the Doctor defiantly.  
"I don't need any help. Your simple presence will be quite enough. Oh, by the way, I need hardly warn you there is no point in trying to escape. This is an interplanetary police spaceship, specially built for carrying prisoners - as you can see."  
"Er, stolen, of course?" asked the Doctor.  
"Oh, of course," said the Master. "Oh, and another thing..." he pointed to a camera attached to the ceiling. "There's a closed-circuit television camera trained on you from up there, so you will be under continuous observation. I think that's all. Well now, if you'll excuse me, I have some rather complicated astronavigation calculations to work out."  
"May I ask where we're going?" asked the Doctor as the Master turned to leave.  
"Certainly - to the home of our friends, the Ogrons. A barren and uninteresting planet on the remote fringes of the galaxy." The Master continued to make his way towards the door.  
"Why are you taking us there and what have you done with Beatrice?" asked Miss Grant. The Master didn't bother looking back as he said.  
"That, Miss Grant, you will discover when you arrive. As for Beatrice, I assure you she is quite safe." With that, the Master left and made his way to the flight deck.  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
Beatrice was sitting calmly in one of the pilot's chairs and was reading the copy of War of the Worlds that he had left on the control panel. The door to the flight deck opened and the Master entered. She smiled at him.  
"Everything go as planned?" she asked as he set the controls to take off.  
"Not quite, the Doctor made an escape attempt that almost got him and another prisoner killed. The Governor required some...persuading to release him." Beatrice raised an eyebrow at the Master's wording.  
"Hypnosis or blackmail?" she asked. Those were two of the Master's main tactics when it came to convincing people.  
"The latter," replied the Master as he removed the rather ridiculous silver outer coat with a high collar similar to General William's outfit, and replaced it with his usual black jacket.  
"How did I guess?" she said as she stood and walked over to him her back to the control panel.  
"I assume from general experience. You do have a habit of getting entangled in my plans" said the Master.  
"I don't hear you complaining," she replied cheekily as he tilted her chin up slightly so he could kiss her. She happily returned the kiss. The kiss was interrupted by a beeping sound. Beatrice had leaned against one of the buttons on the control panel and now the Doctor and Jo's voices could be heard on the monitor.  
"I'm very worried about Beatrice. He took her away and I haven't seen her since. I'm not sure i trust his word that she is safe," said Jo. Beatrice and the Master turned to look at the monitor which showed Jo and the Doctor inside the large cage.  
"Oh I somehow doubt that she's suffering too much," said the Doctor casually. The Master made to turn the sound off but Beatrice stopped him.   
"I want to hear this," she said. Something told her Jo might have caught on to them but she wanted to be sure. The Master complied and instead wrapped his arms around her from behind as they listened in on Jo and the Doctor.  
"It's strange you know? She wasn't worried at all when he asked to see her. Come to think of it she almost looked happy when he came to take us from the earth prison. You don't think there's something going on between them? I mean I'm just imagining things right?" The Doctor raised one of his bushy white eyebrows.  
"Not quite Jo."   
"You mean the two of them are together?" Jo's eyes widened. "You don't think he's controlling her by hypnosis or threat's do you!?"   
"I see Miss Grant has a very high opinion of me," said the Master sarcastically in Beatrice's ear.  
"You did lock her up," pointed out Beatrice  
"No Jo, he isn't. The Master has a strange code of honour. Believe it or not, I think he genuinely cares for Beatrice. Besides, she's immune to his hypnosis. No, both of them are fully aware of what they're doing."  
"How long have you known?" asked Jo. "It seems almost inconceivable that the Master could care about someone other than himself. Let alone someone care for him."  
"Oh, I've known for a while, they've been careful, but the signs are all there. She isn't letting their relationship influence her work at UNIT so I see no need to interfere. They're both adults and at perfect liberty to make their own choices. It's nice to see the Master happy for once." Beatrice smiled slightly at that leaning into the Master's embrace. They were happy together even if it wasn't mean to last. Jo looked pensive.  
"I suppose it does make some things make sense. She's never seemed afraid of him and all those times he captured her she escaped rather easily."  
"As I said, I doubt she's suffering to harshly," said the Doctor casually.  
"But why would she like him or him her? They're so different?" asked Jo.  
"I think you'd have to ask them. Actually, no don't ask the Master. I think he's a little touchier about the subject than Beatrice."  
"Yes, he'd probably openly deny it," said Jo laughing slightly. Beatrice turned the sound off and twisted to look at the Master.  
"Well, that's one more in on the secret, though I trust she'll keep it."  
"Let's hope so," replied the Master.  
"I don't suppose we can blame her for being so surprised, I mean on the surface you and I are practically opposites you're an alien criminal, I'm an agent who stops alien criminals, it's only once you compare our general tastes and personalities that we match up."  
"You have a point my dear. It's certainly a good thing you and I have a general habit of ignoring what should or shouldn't work," the Master told her.  
"Indeed it is," replied Beatrice before kissing him again.  
They pulled apart and the Master glanced over at the copy of War of the Worlds she had been looking at.   
"Enjoying the story?" he asked.  
"It's interesting. Although you do realize the irony behind you having that book right? Especially considering it's about alien invasions," she pointed out.  
"There are some similarities," admitted the Master as he sat down.   
"Yes, except you were defeated by your own plan backfiring as opposed to having a poor immune system." The Master looked slightly disgruntled at the reminder of his failed plans but she knew he wasn't actually angry. Beatrice took the book.  
"Read to me for a while?" she asked. The Master gave her a fond smile as she sat in his lap again and rested her head on his should. He began to read to her in his deep hypnotic voice. Beatrice wasn't sure what the Master was planning, and she had every intention of doing what she could to thwart him. But for now, she was content to listen to him read as they flew through the stars.  
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Master and Beatrice had been peacefully reading when the Master checked the monitor again and narrowed his eyes.  
"The Doctor hasn't moved or spoken in a while," said the Master. Beatrice to the hint and got off his lap.  
"Maybe he's just tired," she suggested. The Master gave her a scornful look, clearly not buying it. He moved to a locker and pulled out a blaster.  
"Stay here," he said before leaving. Beatrice waited a moment before hurrying over to the door and opening it following the Master. As she neared the holding area she hurried she heard the Master say.   
"Give me the blaster or I will press this button and it will be the end of Miss Grant."   
"Don't you dare!" said Beatrice just as the Doctor handed the gun over to the Master.   
Beatrice moved toward him but the Master pointed a gun at the Doctor.  
"You won't kill me or him," said Beatrice.  
"No my dear, I won't but I will shoot the Doctor. It doesn't have to be fatal." Beatrice paused. She wasn't stupid. She doubted he would kill her or the Doctor but the Master might shoot the Doctor. She was dealing with the darker side of her lover's nature and she wouldn't put it past him to follow through with the threat.   
Before any of them could say anything there was a noise from the outer door of the airlock.  
"Your Ogron friends?" asked the Doctor. The Master looked puzzled.   
"No," they all took a step away from the airlock.  
"Well, I should try and be a bit more hospitable, old chap. Come on, put that gun away. They've probably got us out-numbered." said the Doctor. The Master dropped the gun just before the door opened to reveal two armed Draconians.  
"Welcome onboard my ship. To what do I owe the honour?" asked the Master diplomatically.  
"Why have you violated the Draconian frontier?" asked the Draconian.   
"Ah, yes, I'm most apologetic about that, but it was really beyond my control. You see, my prisoners were trying to escape and my...my ship was thrown off course."  
"Prisoners?"  
"Yes, I am the commissioner of Earth's interplanetary police. I'm taking these two people back to planet Sirius 4 for...for trial. Ah, here is my warrant of authority." The Master took a small wallet out of his breast pocket.  
"Now don't believe this man - he's lying." The Draconian didn't appear appeased by the Master's credentials.  
"I'm not concerned with disputes between Earthmen. Owing to the many insults and outrages committed against the empire of Draconia, a state of emergency exists and all diplomatic relations have been severed. You have violated Draconian space. The penalty is death." Beatrice's eyes widened. Talk about bad luck.  
"I insist on speaking to a higher authority!" demanded the Master.  
"You are in Draconian space. I am the authority here." said the Draconian captain.   
"Don't say anything. Draconian's don't tend to appreciate female opinions." The Master said. Beatrice wasn't sure if he just wanted her to shut up but decided not to risk making the situation worse.  
"Captain, you cannot condemn us without a trial. Now, I have vital information for your Emperor. At least give me the chance to speak to him?" suggested the Doctor. The Draconian seemed to consider this.  
"We shall take them to Draconia. Put them in the cage." Beatrice was slightly relieved that someone seemed to at least be willing to give them a chance to eventually explain themselves even if it meant they were shoved in a cage. The Master protested.  
"But you can't do that! I'm a commissioner of interplanetary police - this is my spaceship! I tell you - you cannot do that!"  
"We're outnumbered I'd give in for now," Beatrice said telepathically as she, Jo, the Doctor, and the Master, were all thrown in the cage.   
Author's Note: Well, this is a longer chapter than normal but I had a lot to add. Please like and COMMENT. I really want to hear what you think. I'll update soon but I tend to like to wait and see if I get any feedback. Either way, now school is out the updates will likely be coming quickly. Thanks for reading! Until next time Whovians!


	33. Frontier in Space Part 5

Once inside the cage, Beatrice and the Master took the bunk on the right side of the cage and Jo and the Doctor the left one.

"Well, personally I'm quite happy to be going to Draconia, Jo. Perhaps we can convince the Emperor what our friend here has been trying to do." said the Doctor cheerfully. The Master raised an eyebrow.

"You really think he'd believe you?" 

"Well, this won't be my first visit to Draconia, you know? Many years ago, I spent quite some time there. I was able to help them through a period of very great difficulty."

"Hmm! Displaying your usual sickening lovability, I suppose?" scoffed the Master.

"Well, people do tend to normally prefer individuals who don't have a track record of starting wars, causing chaos, and killing people," said Beatrice 

"That didn't stop you." came the reply. Beatrice simply shot him a glare. She was still annoyed about him threatening Jo.

"So there's a good chance that they'll believe you, huh?" said Jo hopefully.

"Well, it's a long time ago. Things may have changed. But I do understand the Draconian mentality, Jo. It all depends on how you approach them," explained the Doctor.

"So, if they do believe the Doctor, you've had it!" Jo said to the Master smugly.

"We shall see Miss Grant. One never knows what help may be at hand." said the Master in an unconcerned tone before lying down and closing his eyes. Beatrice could have sworn she saw something his hand but it was gone before she could be sure.

"Were you honestly going to open that airlock with Jo inside?" she demanded.

"I had to threaten the Doctor somehow," replied the Master.

"You said after the Daemons incident you wouldn't kill her."

"I won't. I simply intended to get the Doctor to give up the gun," the Master sounded slightly exasperated. 

"You'd better hold true to your word on that subject," Beatrice told him firmly.

"My dear, when have I ever lied to you particularly since we began our relationship?" Beatrice sighed. 

"Never. But that doesn't stop me worrying for my friends when you threaten them."

"I'll endeavour to do so less often. I swear to you, I shall not harm Miss Grant." Beatrice paused. The Master was right, he had never lied to her. He also knew she would never forgive him if he hurt Jo. She trusted him to keep that promise.

"How is he managing to sleep in a situation like this?" said Jo motioning towards the Master.

"Oh, he's not asleep. He's attempting to appear unconcerned. I also suspect he's been getting a telling off for the past several minutes about his threat with the airlock. Trouble in paradise?" the Doctor asked with a smirk. Beatrice raised an eyebrow. 

"Even if I was it isn't any of your business Doctor." The Master also appeared slightly miffed at the comment but didn't reply to the Doctor, instead, sitting up and swinging his legs off the bunk to sit properly. Beatrice took this opportunity to stretch out and settle with her head in his lap. She scoffed at the raised eyebrow she received from him.

"You heard them over the monitor, the Doctor's known for ages and now Jo knows about us. I hardly see a reason to be secretive in front of them. Furthermore, if I'm going to be locked up because of your scheming, I'm going to be comfortable." The Master sighed although there was a fondness to it and instead of answering began casually combing his finger's through her hair. Something Beatrice was aware he knew she enjoyed.

"In answer to your question Miss Grant, as an Earth poet once said, "My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure." Beatrice snorted slightly.

"And how in the name of all that's holy does that apply to you of all people?"

"She's got a point there, old chap," chuckled the Doctor. The Master merely shot the Doctor a withering look.

"Doctor, what did you mean when you said Beatrice was telling the Master off? They weren't speaking," asked Jo.

"Not that you could hear," said Beatrice mysteriously.

"Telepathic conversation Jo. If I'm not mistaken that pendant of Beatrice's allows those two to communicate with their minds." the Doctor explained. A look of realization dawned on Jo's face.

"Wait! Beatrice, is that why you weren't surprised when the Master came to collect us? You did say something about a kidnapping not being out of the question after all."

"Yes," replied Beatrice with a small smile.

"Very good Miss Grant. I informed Beatrice that I was coming to take you out of the custody of those fools back on Earth," the Master said.

"Well, that certainly makes more sense," said Jo. There was a jolt.

"It appears we've arrived," said the Doctor. Beatrice slightly regretfully sat up properly.

"Let's just hope that they're more reasonable than those idiots on Earth," Beatrice muttered as they all stood to be let to the Emperor.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Jo, Beatrice, the Doctor, and the Master, were marched through rather regal looking corridors there were black marble pillars and the wall behind was emerald green.

"Remember what I said about Draconian's not liking females," the Master told her.

"That better not be you just trying to shut me up," Beatrice warned.

"I assure you my intentions on that score are pure," the Master replied as they entered the throne room which had a tall elegant thrown in the centre on which sat a Draconian who Beatrice assumed was the emperor.

The Doctor and Master bowed and Beatrice and Jo followed their example. The Doctor spoke.

"May I have permission to address the Emperor?" the Emperor nodded and the Doctor stepped forward before being blocked by the Emperor's son. 

"Wait!" said the Emperor. Holding out his hand. The Prince let the Doctor pass and the Doctor took the Emperor's hand bowing his forehead to it. 

"My life at your command sire." The Prince looked outraged.

"How dare you address the Emperor in a manner reserved for a noble of Draconia?"

"Ah, but I am a noble of Draconia. The honour was conferred on me by the fifteenth Emperor." Beatrice really hoped the Doctor had his dates right unlike his slip up about General Nelson back during the Sea Devil's incident.

"The fifteenth Emperor reigned five hundred years ago." said the Prince mockingly. The Master laughed.

"Your majesty, do not be taken in by this ridiculous story...!" But was cut off by the Emperor's shout.

"Be silent! There is a legend among our people of a man who assisted the fifteenth Emperor at a time of great trouble when we were almost overwhelmed by a great plague from outer space. But you could not be that man. No Earthman lives so long."

"Your Majesty, this man that you speak of - was he not known as the Doctor? And did he not come to this planet in a spaceship called the TARDIS?" said the Doctor hopefully. The Emperor nodded.

"He did."

"Well, I am that man, sire. And I come from a race of people that live far longer than any Earthman." The Emperor looked skeptical.

"Even if I accept your claim, you have broken our law. Why did you violate Draconian space?" Once again the Master attempted to intervene.

"Your majesty, this man was, and still is, my prisoner." the Doctor interrupted him.

"It is true, your majesty. I did come here as a prisoner, but I...I came willingly - in order to warn you that this man is plotting a war between Earth and Draconia!" The Prince scoffed.

"All Earthmen are determined upon war."

"Ah, but the Master is not an Earthman. I'm sorry to have to admit it, but he's a renegade of my own race,"

"Ouch," Beatrice told the Master with a smirk who pointedly ignored the comment although Beatrice could tell the insult had ruffled his feathers. The Doctor continued.

"He's using creatures called Ogrons to attack your spaceships and those of the Earthmen."

"The Earthmen who attacked our spaceships - they have been seen many times." said the Emperor.

"I'm sorry, but there you are in error, sir. Your people have seen Ogrons, but they appear to them as Earthmen because of a hypnotic device." Now Jo spoke up earnestly,

"It's true, your majesty. When Ogrons attacked the Earth ships, the Earthmen saw them as Draconians."

"Silence!" snapped the Prince. "Females are not permitted to speak in the presence of the Emperor." Beatrice glanced over at Jo. It looked like the Master had been telling the truth about Draconian's not liking females.

"Your majesty, do not be deceived by the pathetic ravings of two criminals trying to evade justice." said the Master.

"If what you say is true, it would explain much. We lived at peace with the Earthmen for many years, then suddenly they began to raid our spaceships. When we protested, they said that we were attacking them." the Emperor said pensively.

"In order to cover up their own attacks!" Protested the Prince. "This is simply a plot of the Earthmen to lull us into false security." A messenger entered.

"Your majesty, a spaceship from Earth seeks permission to land in the palace spaceport. They say they're on a special mission from the President of Earth."

"This is a trick! You must not allow them to land!" insisted the Prince but the Emperor shook his head.

"We are not yet at war with Earth. I shall hear what their President has to say. I give my permission." The messenger bowed and left.

"A wise decision, your majesty. For only by Earth and Draconia working together can we hope to arrive at the truth." said the Doctor.

"I too welcome your wisdom, your majesty. Nobody could be more devoted to the cause of peace than I." Beatrice, Jo, and the Doctor looked at the Master as if he had grown a second head.

"As a commissioner of Earth's interplanetary police, I have devoted my life to the cause of law and order. And law and order can only exist in a time of peace." The Doctor put a hand on the Master's shoulder.

"You feeling alright, old chap?"

"Who are you and what have you done with the Master?" asked Beatrice. The Master ignored both comments.

"Only during a period of social stability, can society adequately deal with criminals such as this man and this unfortunate girl." suddenly the whirring sound from the cargo ship could be heard again.

"Doctor, listen! That sound!" said Beatrice.

"Silence, female!" the Prince said.

"Quiet! It's the same noise that we heard on the cargo ship," said Jo. Everyone paused to listen. Beatrice guessed it must be the Ogrons and was about to say so but Jo beat her to it.

"Doctor, it's the Ogrons!" 

"Your majesty, I beg of you to be cautious. Something is seriously wrong here. This ship that has just landed - I beg you, place it under guard immediately." said the Doctor urgently. Suddenly Ogrons burst into the room blasting away. The Master grabbed Beatrice's arm before she could avoid him and pulled her towards Ogrons

"Back you idiots! Back to your ship - all of you!" he shouted as he pulled Beatrice with him. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master grabbed Beatrice as the Ogrons entered and dragged her with him back to the safety of the ship. He didn't want her in the crossfire or left back to add credibility to the Doctor.

"Let me go!" she snapped at him as they entered the bridge finally managing to jerk her arm free.

"I'm afraid not my dear," replied the Master. One of the Ogrons came up to him.

"One of our people was left behind injured," it said. The Master swore.

"Great lumbering idiots! Now you tell me that you've left one of your fellows in the palace! Do you realise what this means? As soon as the sound of the hypno-effect wears off, the Draconians will know who it really was who attacked them. You've ruined everything!" He noticed a small smirk on Beatrice's face.

"Guess things did work perfectly after all," she said.

"What shall we do now?" asked the Ogron.

"Do? There's only one thing we can do - make sure that the Doctor and his evidence is never allowed to reach Earth." replied the Master. He turned to the guards, "Take the woman and lock her up. But don't hurt her, or you'll have me to deal with." Beatrice glared at him and in the back of his mind, the Master wondered what the consequences for taking her would be. 

He shook his head. He had other things to worry about like making sure the Doctor didn't completely destroy his plan. The Master despised relying on unintelligent species to do his work. They were easier to control but could also as Beatrice might put it "bollox things up." 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After a while, one of the Ogrons let out an exclamation and pointed to his screen which showed a spaceship nearby.

"That must be them. No other ship would be on a course for Earth at a time like this." the Master said stepping closer. The Ogron looked puzzled.

"We are on a course for Earth!"

"Well naturally, because we're chasing them a...! shouted the Master losing his patience for a moment. He paused taking a deep breath in order to regain his composure. "Keep quiet and let me think!" Soon they would be within striking distance. 

"What will you do, Master?" asked the Ogron

"Ah, I...I'd like to try and take the Doctor alive if possible. If not...I'll blast him out of space! Pity though... " The Master muttered this last part more to himself. He was annoyingly feeling slightly conflicted.

"You do wish to kill him?" asked the Ogron.

"Of course I do! I don't know - rocket fire at long range, it's... I don't know, somehow it lacks that personal touch!" if the Doctor was to die the Master would prefer to do it himself face to face with the infuriating man. Either way he needed that ship to slow down so they could attack it. Suddenly a call came through on the radio.

"Earth police spaceship two, three, nine, o on a special mission to the President of Earth. Do you read me, do you read me? Over." The Master took the microphone.

"This is Earth police spaceship number one, four, two. Your ship is one that has been reported as stolen. You will please reduce speed so that we can board you."

Fortunately, the Doctor took the bait and the ship ahead of them slowed.

"They're within range," said the Master as he steadily watched the scanner. "Fire the missile...now!" The Ogrons fired a missile that shook the ship ahead.

"Get your people on board and try and take the Doctor alive," ordered the Master as the Ogron leader left.

The Master went back to looking at the scanner and waited for the ship to signal it had been taken.

Fifteen minutes later the ship still wasn't taken.

"What is happening? They should have taken that ship by now!" the Master let out a groan.

"Must I do everything myself?!" suddenly another ship appeared on the scanner. The Master's eyes narrowed.

"An Earth battlecruiser. You'd better recall the boarding party. I'll take over here." he couldn't have the Earth police finding the Ogrons. He took over the pilot's chair.

"As soon as they're back on board, we unlock."

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master awaited the return of the Ogrons hoping they had the Doctor. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a struggling Miss Grant being dragged onto the bridge. He set the ship to unlock from the ship the Doctor was on as it was boarded by the other ship. He wasn't happy they hadn't gotten the Doctor but at the very least it would delay him.

"Poor Doctor! Enmeshed in the throes of...bureaucracy. Ah, it'll take him a long time to talk himself out of that one." 

"But he'll get to see the President eventually," said Miss Grant.

"She won't believe him," he replied.

"Oh yes, she will - when she sees the Ogron prisoner. He's our evidence," the Master pointed behind her and watched with pleasure as dismay crossed her face.

"Your evidence is standing right behind you."

"The Draconian Prince knows the truth and he's with the Doctor," she said desperately.

"My dear Miss Grant - in the climate of opinion that I have created, do you think that any Earthman is going to believe the word of a Draconian?" he laughed.

"Take her and lock her up with the other female," he ordered the Ogrons. He glanced at Miss Grant. 

"I'm sure Beatrice will be happy to see you."

With that Miss Grant was dragged away and the Master returned to setting the flight coordinates for the home of the Ogrons.

Author's Note: There we go, another chapter. I should update again within the next day or so. I'm guessing we have probably one or two more chapters left in Frontier in Space. Thanks for reading. Please like and COMMENT. I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Until next time Whovians.


	34. Frontier in Space Part 6

They landed on the planet of the Ogrons and the Master escorted Beatrice and Miss Grant down the slope of the barren planet and into a bunker. With the Ogrons behind them, the Master knew neither woman would make a run for it. Beatrice's glare hadn't wavered.

The walls of the bunker were bare and slightly dirty. They entered a wider area which held communications equipment and a few computers.

"Well, welcome to my humble abode," he said politely.

"I think you were better off in prison," Beatrice casually. She was obviously still annoyed with him. He was starting to wonder if the Draconians and Earth soldiers were his biggest problem.

"Oh these are just temporary quarters my dear, I'll be moving somewhere more comfortable quite soon," he told her.

"Like the couch?" she replied pointedly. The Master decided to file that threat away for later.

"Oh, you'll soon be back in jail. When the truth gets out, Earth and Draconia will combine their forces to attack you," said Miss Grant. The Master chuckled.

"I don't think so. There's too much distrust between them." 

"Maybe, maybe not. You never know what help may be at hand," said Beatrice quoting what he had told Miss Grant earlier. "The Doctor will find you eventually" The Master crossed to a control panel.

"Ah, there I agree with you. He must find me. Not only to rescue you..." he flipped a switch and a light came on behind Beatrice and Miss Grant revealing a police box. "But also to be reunited with his beloved TARDIS." The Master turned to the Ogrons and nodded at Beatrice. Take Miss Rosenfield and confine her. Although you'd do well to remember what I said about not hurting her."

"No! I'm not leaving Jo. Anything you have to say to her can be said to me," said Beatrice coming to stand in front of him her hands on her hips in disapproval. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm afraid not my dear. You are far less susceptible to being convinced.... to assist me." He saw fear grow in her eyes.

"You promised!" 

"And I don't intend to break that promise," he replied looking her directly in the eyes to make sure she knew he was telling the truth. There were ways of convincing people to do your bidding without harming them.

"It's alright Beatrice, I don't think there's much you can do," Miss Grant said from behind them. 

"A sensible statement Miss Grant." The Master said. Beatrice cast them a worried look but went with the Ogrons. 

"You know, I'm going to set a trap for the Doctor...and you Miss Grant are going to help me," Miss Grant was silent. The Master raised an eyebrow.

"What? No noble speeches to the effect that you'd rather die than betray the Doctor?"

"You know I'm not going to help you," she said defiantly. The Master approached her looking into her eyes and reaching out mentally to control her mind. 

"I know that you are. I know that you will obey me. You will obey me! I am the Master..." suddenly Miss Grant began chanting.

"Mary had a little lamb, his fleece was white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go". The Master focussed harder but she continued spouting nonsense. It was as if a wall was created by a stream of ridiculous rhymes causing chaos that prevented him from gain a hold over her. 

"Stop that, Miss Grant!" he said finally ceasing his attempts.

"It's a form of self-conditioning. You fill your mind with nonsense and then you can't be hypnotised," she said smugly. "Humpty dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty dumpty had a great fall..." The Master held up his hand to stop her and scowled giving up on the hypnosis.

"I was never very fond of nursery rhymes anyhow!"

"Then you'll just have to give up all hope of hypnotising me, won't you? Once was quite enough, thank you." The Master sighed and shot Miss Grant an almost admiring look. He then walked over to the desk to a small black box.

"In that case, I shall have to try something else."

"You won't hurt me. Beatrice would never forgive you." Miss Grant told him.

"My dear Miss Grant, I don't need to hurt you. Now you may have heard this noise before, Miss Grant. It works directly on the fear centres deep in your mind!" he flipped a switch on the box and the hypnotic signal was emitted. He watched as her eyes widened in fear.

"It's not real! I..." she coughed, "it's an illusion!" 

Then we shall have to try a little harder, Miss Grant." He increased the power.

"It's not real!" he could tell for a moment her determination seemed to waver but surprisingly she appeared to regain control.

"It's you! It's the Master! It's an illusion! It's you!" her mantra appeared to succeed. The Master switched off the device torn between being frustrated and being impressed. A conflict of emotions usually reserved for Beatrice.

"Congratulations, my dear. I seem to have failed again." Miss grant looked smug.

"Yes, you do, don't you? Never mind! You can't win 'em all!" The Master huffed. 

"Hmm! I shall have to think about this. I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to be my guest for a little longer." He snapped his fingers and two Ogrons appeared. "Show Miss Grant to her room, will you?" They grabbed Miss Grant and pulled her away. Another Ogron appeared.

"Yes, what is it? 

"Two raiding ships have returned."

"Oh, were they successful?"

"They found and attacked two Earth cargo ships."

"Where was this?"

"In Earth space. One ship resisted. We destroyed it!" the Master laughed.

"Excellent! That should stir things up. It can't be long now before they declare war on each other." Things were, once again, going according to plan.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Ogrons had taken Beatrice to what was a typical cell with bars although this one had a dirt floor. Beatrice waited anxiously for Jo to arrive. She wanted to believe the Master was telling the truth but a small part of her remained worried. 

Fortunately, after about ten minutes the Ogrons arrived with Jo and shoved her into the cell. Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief and ran to her friend to hug her.

"Oh thank goodness! The Master kept his promise after all. What happened?"

"Oh he tried to hypnotize me but I blocked him out using nursery rhymes so he tried that fear box with the hypnotic sound but I managed to push through so he told them to take me here," explained Jo.

"Well, I suppose things could be worse," said Beatrice leaning against the wall.

"You made him promise not to hurt me didn't you?" asked Jo. Beatrice nodded.

"Yes, and fortunately for you and for him, he kept it."

"Beatrice, do you really love him?" asked Jo softly. Beatrice smiled slightly.

"Yes, call me crazy, but I really do. Even if he does drive me mad sometimes with his scheming."

"I guess I wasn't imagining the attraction between you two," said Jo she then raised an eyebrow and smirked. "He's in a lot of trouble isn't he?" Beatrice laughed.

"Oh yes, he's in trouble alright. I've already threatened him with the couch. I swear I'll make his TARDIS lock all the bedrooms!" Now it was Jo's turn to laugh.

"Well, at least he'll get some punishment." An Ogron appeared bringing them some sort of gruel and two spoons before leaving. Beatrice wrinkled her nose. Suddenly Jo's eyes lit up.

"The floor here is dirt! Maybe we can dig a hole under!" Beatrice grinned.

"Jo, you're a genius!" Quickly the two of them got to work. 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Eventually, the pair managed to dig a big enough dip in the ground to squeeze under. Beatrice was now grateful for her smaller build. They snuck through the corridors and into the now empty room with the computers. 

Beatrice grabbed the fear box and a piece of paper that looked like coordinates. That the Master would leave this out made her slightly suspicious but she saw no other choice if there were any chance of getting help. Jo hurried to the radio and read out the coordinates.

"Mayday, mayday, this is an urgent message for both Draconian and Earth forces. The Ogrons are using a planet - galactic co-ordinates two, three, four, nine to six, seven, eight, four. Please inform the authorities of either Earth or Draconia. I repeat Mayday, mayday, this is a m...

Suddenly Beatrice heard footsteps. She whipped around to see the Master who took the microphone from Jo. Beatrice swore.

"Thank you Miss Grant, Beatrice, that was the trap." 

"I knew it was too easy," muttered Beatrice. The Master wanted them to send those coordinates out.

"Oh, no. You're the one who's trapped. I've just given your entire position away!" said Jo proudly.

"Yes. I left those galactic coordinates for you to find." the Master's voice was quiet. Jo's face fell. 

"You mean they were fakes?"

"Oh, no. They were genuine enough. But this is, er, a short-range transmitter. So no one will have picked up your message more than...two or three hundred miles from this planet." 

"Nobody heard me." Beatrice sighed.

"Yes, they did Jo. Oh, that was so stupid of me not to see it."

"Not stupid my dear, just slightly naive."

"Beatrice is right, the Doctor heard you. Yes, at this moment, he's orbiting the planet in a small spaceship. I picked him up on radar a little while ago."

"How do you know it was the Doctor?" asked Jo.

"My dear Miss Grant, who else could it be? You see, when the Doctor arrives, we'll be waiting for him. So you have been useful to me after all." he laughed. Beatrice fought the urge to slap him.

"But, erm, just in case the Doctor should get lost..." he switched on a homing signal. "There. Now he'll think that this homing signal comes from you, Miss Grant." 

"By the way, congratulations - I knew I could count on you to get out of your cage."

"Right, take her away." The Ogrons took Jo. Beatrice stepped towards the Master, who held up his hand to stop the Ogrons grabbing her. They stepped away slightly to give the two of them some privacy. She saw the Master's gaze soften slightly as he looked at her.

"Yes, my dear?" she sighed.

"I'm not surprised. This is typical of you." she looked away for a moment. "There are two sides to you. One kind and loving that I see when we're alone. The other chaotic and manipulative that you show to the world. I love them both. I just sometimes forget that the darker side exists." he gently placed a hand on her cheek and guided her head to look at him.

"Most would only love one." Beatrice placed her hand over his.

"That's not love. That's blindness," despite her annoyance with him she gave him a small playful smile. "Regardless your still the most infuriating man I've ever met." 

"And you the most insufferable woman," he replied with a chuckle and a small smile of his own. "What a pair we make." 

"I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day," she replied dryly removing the hand on her cheek, though she held on to it. "I should go look after Jo. Thank you for keeping your promise regarding her." The Master took the hand holding his and brought it up to kiss the back of it. His lips lightly brushing her skin.

"I will never make a promise to you that I don't intend to keep." Beatrice nodded and turned to leave with the Ogrons.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"Yes, I await your arrival with the greatest of pleasure. And I shall be there to meet you the moment that your ship touches down," not long after Beatrice had left and he had sent the Ogrons off to capture the Doctor, who had finally landed the Daleks had contacted him. 

The Master actually hadn't been thrilled about working with the Daleks originally but they and the Ogrons seemed to come as a package. Hopefully, they could serve as a useful threat towards the Doctor. Suddenly a large number of Ogrons came lumbering in in a panic.

"Well, where's the Doctor?" he asked impatiently. 

"The monster came!" cried one of the Ogrons. The Master scowled. For all their size the Ogrons were apparently easily frightened.

"The monster? And I suppose you all ran like rabbits?!" he shouted.

"We fear the monster!"

"You stupid cowardly idiots! You will answer to your masters for this!" 

"What? They are coming?!" said one of the Ogrons fearfully. The Master knew Daleks terrified them.

"Yes, they are coming! Which means that dispense with your doubtful...! Oh! Out of my way!" he pushed them aside and left the bunker. It seemed the Daleks would be more useful than he expected.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master met the Daleks at their ship and led them to the ridge above where he knew the Doctor was if the Doctor had followed the homing signal properly. Fortunately, it appeared he had. Down in the quarry, the Master saw the Doctor crouching with General Williams, several Earth soldiers and the Draconian Prince.

"So you're here at last?" he called. General Williams turned his weapon toward the Master who knew that as long as he was apparently unarmed the Doctor would not permit him to be killed.

"Surrender or you'll be shot!" said the General.

"No! He's unarmed," said the Doctor predictably.

"Unarmed Doctor, but not unaccompanied. I have some old friends for you to meet. Quite a touching reunion." The Daleks came up to the ledge pointing their weapons at the men below.

"Fire!" shouted the General, whose men were quickly shot down causing the ground below to explode. When the dust cleared only the General, the Doctor, and the Draconian Prince, were left."

"It's no good!" said the Doctor and the Master laughed at his best enemy's defeated look.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Daleks and the Master escorted the three captives inside to the control area. The chief Dalek spoke.

"Doctor, you are in our power and you will be exterminated." Quickly the Master intervened he wasn't going to let the Doctor be killed by a few oversized pepper shakers. The Doctor would die by the Master's hand alone.

"No, not yet." 

"You will obey the Daleks!" the chief Dalek replied angrily.

"You know as well as I do that this man does not fear death. I want him to suffer a much worse punishment. Look, my skill and cunning has brought about this war which will make you the masters of the galaxy. Leave the Doctor with me, and let him see the...result of that war. Let him see the galaxy in ruins. Let him see the planet Earth, that he loves so much, in ruins - then exterminate him." the Master was once again glad for his natural talent of talking his way out of situations. The Dalek paused.

"Very well. He will remain your prisoner until the war is concluded. Then you will bring him to us and we shall exterminate him. We shall now return to our base and prepare the army of the Daleks." The three Dalek's glided off and the Doctor turned to the Master.

"I suppose I should thank you for saving my life?"

"Not for long, Doctor. It's going to be a very short war." replied the Master. "Right, take them away," he told the Ogrons.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice and Jo looked up as they heard footsteps coming towards their cell. 

"Doctor!" said Jo in surprise, running to hug the Doctor as he entered.

General Willaims and the Draconian Prince were placed in a neighbouring cell.

"I see you brought the whole team. Believe us now General Denial?" Beatrice asked the general pointedly.

"I admit there was a mistake," replied General Willaims grudgingly.

"Yes, that's been sorted out. But if we're to stop this war and convince both sides to calm down that won't mean much," the Doctor said.

"I'll give the Master credit, this is certainly one of his most effective plans," said Beatrice with a sigh.

"Yes, if he weren't trying to destroy the universe so often, I might actually admire the old devil's ingenuity" replied the Doctor.

"So now they've got all of us," said Jo with a sigh.

"All except the pilot. He's repairing the ship," added General Willaims.

"Why do these...Dalek creatures wish to set your people and mine at war?" asked the Draconian Prince.

"Because war will mean the extermination of both empires, your royal highness, and the Daleks will emerge as the supreme rulers." replied the Doctor.

"Extermination and universal domination is usually their objective," put in Beatrice.

"Now somehow, we've got to get out of here and stop them," said the Doctor. Beatrice put her hand in her pocket and felt it brush up against the fear box she had taken from the Master. She pulled it out. Perhaps it could be of some use. Though she wasn't sure how.

"Doctor, will the Master's little fear-box help?" asked Beatrice passing the box to the Doctor.

"He won't be too happy you took this," said the Doctor with a chuckle.

"Serves him right," shrugged Beatrice. Jo seemed to have come up with an idea upon seeing the box. Her eyes lit up.

"We could use it to frighten the Ogrons away and then we can all escape!" she said.

"Well, that's not impractical, they'd just run off and we'd still be locked in." Jo's face fell.

"It was a clever idea, Doctor do you think there's some way we could use that concept?" she asked. Jo's face brightened slightly.

"I think there might be. This will need a very slight adjustment. He took carefully took out his sonic, Beatrice and Jo moving to block the Ogron's view. "There!" said the Doctor.

"General Williams, if we do manage to get out of here, and Jo and I manage to create a diversion, could you find your way back to your spaceship?" the renegade timelord asked.

"Certainly."

"Now I want you to take off immediately. Get the truth back to your respective governments," he said urgently.

"Yes," nodded the Draconian Prince.

"Tell them that they must mount a joint expedition and capture this base at once. Your royal highness, you must go and convince the Emperor" the Draconian nodded.

"What about you, Miss Rosenfield and Miss Grant - how will you get away?" asked General Williams.

"I presume that the TARDIS is still here?" the Doctor asked turning to Jo and Beatrice who nodded.

"Yes, I know where it is," said Jo.

"Well, don't worry about us. Our spaceship is here."

"That's all very well, Doctor, but we still happen to be locked in." pointed out the general.

"Yes, well, would you mind blocking your ears and...covering your eyes just for a moment?"

"I do not understand?" said the Draconian Prince.

"No, but I...I think you will in a moment. Just do as I ask, would you? You too, Jo. I assume you will be fine Beatrice.

"Oh no, it's alright. I can resist it," said Jo cheerfully.

"Can you?" asked the Doctor looking impressed. "Good." the Doctor got the attention of the Ogron guarding them.

Er, how much longer are you gonna keep us locked in here?" the Ogron walked forward. The Doctor switched on the device and the Ogron's eyes went wide with terror.

"Open the Gate. Open the Gate." ordered the Doctor in an excellent impression of a Dalek, which Beatrice assumed was what the Ogron saw. It quickly unlocked both cages and ran off.

"Quickly, follow me!" said the Doctor as they escaped the cells.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They reached the control area and paused. Jo pointed down a passageway.

"Right, you can get out this way. Good luck."

"And you Miss Grant, Doctor, Miss Rosenfield," said General Willaims. They all shook hands and Beatrice even gave General Williams a small smile. He had good intentions after all. The Draconian Prince stepped forward and kissed both Jo and Beatrice's hand in turn before turning to the Doctor.

"My life at your command," he said before following the General.

"The TARDIS is over there," said Jo she and the Doctor moved towards it. Beatrice stayed still for a moment. Torn between leaving with them or staying with the Master. Just as she had reached her decision to stay the Master stepped out of the shadows with a gun pointed at the Doctor and several Ogron's behind him.

"Going somewhere, Doctor?" he asked in his usual smooth tone.

"You know, you really are incredibly persistent, aren't you?" said the Doctor. The Master looked a the device and then cast a glance at Beatrice who merely smirked.

"That is my property, I believe."

"Oh yes, yes, a most ingenious device. I congratulate you." said the Doctor before switching it on.

"The monster!" cried an Ogron and panic reigned. One of the Ogrons in their panic knocked the Master's gun which went off. Beatrice saw the Doctor collapse with blood on his forehead, as the Master grabbed her hand and pulled her to his tardis which was disguised as a pillar supporting the bunker.

As the door closed behind them Beatrice heard the familiar wheezing of the Doctor's TARDIS. She rounded on the Master who had just set them to dematerialize.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Master dragged Beatrice inside his TARDIS, quickly setting for them to take off. When he looked up at her Beatrice's face held a mixture of anger, worry, and disappointment.

"You shot the Doctor!" she said angrily. The Master sighed.

"It wasn't intentional my dear. I didn't intend to shoot him anywhere fatal." and it was true. The Master hadn't actually planned on killing the Doctor. Only injuring him. Unfortunately, those blasted Ogrons had knocked the gun in his hand causing it to go off.

As Beatrice looked at him he could tell she was trying to discern if he was telling the truth. He stepped towards her. She tilted her head.

"You really didn't mean to shoot him in the head?" she asked.

"No I didn't my dear," he said taking her hand. Truthfully he was slightly worried about the Doctor.

"Do you think you've caused him to regenerate?" she asked.

"He was able to get into the TARDIS and take off but I can't be sure of his condition."

"I believe you." she sighed. "We don't know where he's gone. Is there any way that you could figure out if he was alright?" The Master paused thinking. Then it came to him.

"There might be a way. If I can reach out and sense his mind I should be able to ascertain it's condition. But I'll need complete silence." Beatrice nodded and the Master closed his eyes.

He reached out with his mind to try and locate the Doctor's telepathic signature. If he were alive the Master would know. For a moment there was nothing and then...There! Slightly fainter than usual but most certainly still there. He opened his eyes.

"He's alive," he saw relief cross Beatrice's face and even felt the cloud of worry he had been reluctant to acknowledge lift. Beatrice hugged him and he returned the embrace.

"Thank you," she said softly as she pulled away. Looking down at her clothes which were stained with dirt she gave a small laugh. "I should go change."

"I'm sure you can find your way to the wardrobe," said the Master with a small smile. She walked past him towards the entrance to go deeper into the TARDIS. Just as she reached it she turned back and shot him a mischievous grin.

"By the way, you're still sleeping on the couch tonight!" The Master sighed in exasperation.

Author's note: There we go! Looks like the Master's going to pay for his scheming! This was, of course, the final episode I will be including as it was Delgado's final appearance in Doctor Who. This also means we are nearing the book's conclusion. But don't worry, I've still got several chapters left. Thank you again to everyone who has been reading this. Please like and COMMENT. I'm dying to know your thoughts. I will update again soon so keep checking back. Until next time Whovians.


	35. Nightmares and Names

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three four. The drums, the never-ending drums.

"Master, Master, Master!" a gentle female voice with a Scottish lilt interrupted the overpowering repetition in his head. The Master started, sitting up and after a moment, registered where he was. He was in his bedroom in the TARDIS. Turning to look to the right he could make out the worried face of Beatrice in the semi-darkness. Her hair cascaded down over her shoulders and her hand was rested on his arm.

"Are you alright? You were muttering in your sleep fitfully," she asked softly. The Master took a deep breath.

"I'm fine my dear. I apologize for waking you." She shook her head slightly at his words.

"It's alright." she paused. "Do you wish to talk about it? You said something about the drums." The Master looked at her seeing the genuine compassion and concern in her eyes.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her. Truthfully, he trusted her more than anyone else in the universe. But he wasn't used to it. He wasn't used to having someone to he could share personal information without fear of having it used against him or be seen as weak. Still, he knew Beatrice would never betray him. And he was grateful for that. She really was a rarity.

He leaned against the headboard, wrapping his arm around Beatrice who rested her head on his chest. She glanced up at him, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"Ever since I was a child I've had this constant drumming in my head. A series of four beats. It began when I was eight. Like every other Gallifreyan at the Academy, I was taken to look into the untempered schism. The raw power of time and space," he added at her slightly confused look.

"I'd hoped they'd end with my first regeneration but they've never stopped" Beatrice's face was one of combined empathy, indignation, and surprise.

"How could they do that to a child?" she asked. The Master gave her a bitter smile.

"Different morality my dear. The time lords aren't the most nurturing of people." As was his habit he began tapping the four-beat rhythm with the hand that wasn't around Beatrice, who, noticing this, took her right hand and entwined her finger's with his, stopping the tapping. As he gazed into her eyes the sound in his head slowly began to fade. Still there but not unbearable. 

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. 

"Don't be my dear," he paused before speaking again. "They're softer when I'm with you." It was true. He wasn't entirely sure why but when he was with Beatrice he usually hardly noticed the constant drumming. In a way, she brought him a level of peace. Something he hadn't felt in centuries.

"I'm glad that I can help," she told him, gently squeezing his hand. They were both silent for a while before Beatrice spoke up. The Master guessed she was probably trying to think of a way to distract him from their discussion about the drums. A minute or so later she appeard to have found one as her eyes lit up slightly.

"You know I just realized something," she said in a tone of curiosity. The Master tilted his head in a gesture for her to continue.

"In all the time I've known you I don't know your real name. I know you chose "the Master" because only you would be pretentious enough to do that..." she gave him a small smirk causing him to take on a mask of mock disapproval. "But if you don't mind me asking what's your Gallifreyan name?"

It was actually a valid question. Truth be told the Master hadn't thought about his real name in nearly two centuries. He had ceased to be that person a long time ago. Besides names were often a rather private thing for timelords who chose to take a moniker. Even the Doctor didn't discuss his.

"You couldn't pronounce the full version considering its thirty-two characters long like most Gallifreyan names. But the shortened version, which I went by at the Academy, is Koschei." 

"Koschei," she repeated quietly. "In a way it suits you. Although considering you made universal chaos your profession, I suppose "the Master" is slightly more intimidating." The Master chuckled.

"Quite." After that, not many words were needed as she rested in his arms. Eventually, being human, Beatrice did fall back asleep, her head still resting on his chest. He smiled slightly as he looked down at her.

After that first night when she had confessed to loving him, something that still left him slightly incredulous, they had taken to sharing his room. The TARDIS had even created a closet for her. The change had seemed quite natural.

The Master had also changed his habits slightly. Whereas he once spent entire nights awake working in the console room, due to his general lack of need for sleep. He had taken to usually heading to bed at the same time as Beatrice. He especially enjoyed seeing her fall asleep and wake up in his arms. And loved the way she would immediately smile as soon as she opened her eyes and saw him.

He had grown used to having her with him. He found himself enjoying the days much more when she was with him. (Though he was slightly miffed she had fulfilled her threat after the Ogron incident a month ago.) Regardless, until she had begun travelling with him, the Master hadn't realized how lonely the TARDIS could be with himself as the only occupant.

There had been a time, early in their acquaintance, when he had wondered if his feelings towards her were merely a temporary fascination with a slightly-more-interesting-than-average human. He knew now that was certainly not the case.

They were playing a dangerous game and both of them knew it. But he was also fairly certain that both of them agreed it was worth it. With these thoughts running through his head the Master gently kissed the top of Beatrice's head and closed his eyes allowing sleep to overtake him.

Author's note: There's the next chapter. I've always imagined that the drums were attuned to his moods so when he was genuinely happy and content, as he is with Beatrice, they would be softer. The Master's name is also something I got off TARDIS wiki. I promise to update in a few days. Please like and COMMENT. Thanks again for reading. Until next time Whovians!


	36. Reconciliation

Beatrice sighed as she and Jo walked through Greenwich Park. She looked over the well-maintained green grass and flourishing trees. It was a mild summer day and the two women had decided to meet up.

"What's wrong? Is everything alright with you and the Master?" asked Jo. Beatrice laughed.

"Oh no, everything's just normal there. Or at least as normal as it can be when dating an alien criminal."

"You know, it's odd. When you don't know about what's going on between you two, it's well hidden. But now I know what's going on the signs are pretty obvious. He was so worried about you when the War Chief kidnapped you. Not to mention once we defeated the War Chief the Master seemed to be rather more sadistic than normal in punishing him."

"He's very protective of me. It's rather sweet," said Beatrice with a small smile thinking about all the times the Master had protected and saved her. Be it from evil aliens like Astoria or her lack of concern for her own well being such as when she was almost asleep on her feet during the Daemons incident.

"I agree. Good lord, I never thought I'd say anything was sweet about the Master," replied Jo.

"Just don't let him hear you say that," laughed Beatrice.

"My lips are sealed," said Jo. The look on Jo's face then shifted from mirth to concern. "Then what's the problem?" Beatrice glanced over at her friend. 

"I'm having a bit of trouble with my family and I don't know how to resolve it." Jo looked confused.

"What's the actual problem?" 

"The last time we had a get together my siblings and I quarrelled. They're upset because I have to be so secretive about my life and work. I mean...I get that they're worried but what can I do? How could I explain what happens to us at UNIT? Let alone my personal life." Jo looked thoughtful.

"Is it just your siblings that are the problem?" 

"My parents are a little worried but have seemed to accept that I can do what I want with my life as long as I don't forget to stay in contact."

"Well, I wouldn't mention the whole "dating an often hostile alien criminal" bit but perhaps the simplest solution would be to explain what you do for UNIT."

"Jo, you do realize that a) we signed NDA's when we started to work at UNIT and b) that we deal with ALIEN INVASIONS on a regular basis. Something most members of the general public wouldn't believe easily?"

"It's just crazy enough that the only reason you would say it would be if it was the truth. As for breaking the NDA, since when have you been worried about rules? At least as long as nobody finds out. Need I remind you that you are dating THE MASTER of all people, something that could get you fired if the higher-ups found out?" 

Beatrice thought it over. She couldn't avoid her family forever. Despite their argument, she loved her siblings and didn't want to lose them. Perhaps the truth was the only route that could lead to some sort of reconciliation.

"You know, I think you might be right." Beatrice linked arms with Jo and smiled at her. "Whatever would I do without you?"

"I dread the thought," laughed Jo with a grin as they continued making their way through the park.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice had called her siblings up and requested to talk with them both. Since Louisa and Collin both lived in Glasgow they had decided to have Beatrice come there. Now she stood outside Collin's house her stomach twisted in knots.

Despite having resolved to tell her siblings about her rather crazy life, she was still nervous. Even the Master had noted it earlier in the day although he politely let the matter drop when she vaguely said it involved her family.

Beatrice didn't know if he had used telepathy or had just learned to read her emotions perfectly but he always seemed to know when to press and when to let a matter drop. Say what you like about the Master but he had some level of tact.

She knocked on the door of the single-story blue house. The door opened to reveal a smiling Collin.

"Hello Beatrice," he said pulling her into a hug which she returned.

"Hello Collin, is Louisa here?"

"Yes, Janice and Michelle are out at the moment so we have the house to ourselves," he told her as she walked with him into the living room where her sister was sitting. 

"Hello Louisa," Beatrice said awkwardly.

"Hello," her sister replied. 

"How about I get some tea?" suggested Collin, breaking the tense silence.

"That would be lovely," said Beatrice with a nod as she sat down on the couch. Collin left and she cleared her throat slightly.

"So how are things at the bridal salon?"

"Alright. We got a new shipment of gowns in so that complicated things slightly. Otherwise, it's business as usual. And you?"

"That's what I wanted to discuss," replied Beatrice as Collin returned with a tray of three mugs.

"You said you had something important to tell us," Collin said as he sat down in a leather armchair.

"Yes." Beatrice paused, taking a deep breath before carrying on. "It's time you learned what I do for a living. I don't want my secrets to force us apart. But you have to swear never to repeat what I tell you and to listen until I'm done."

"Of course, we promise," said Collin.

"Absolutely," said Louisa leaning forward. Beatrice stood and began pacing.

"I've told you I work for a government agency. That's not entirely true. I work for an organization called UNIT. The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Our job is to deal with and cover up extraterrestrial threats."

"Extraterrestrial? As in little green aliens from Mars?" asked Louisa sceptically

"Not all aliens are from Mars. And I have yet to meet Marvin the Martian. Some of them do look odd. We had a race of anthropomorphic fish people a few months ago. But they can also look human."

"You're telling us that you spend your workdays stopping alien invasions?" asked Collin in shock.

"More or less. Apparently this planet is a prime spot for alien attacks. When those happen, UNIT is called in to stop them."

"You realize how unbelievable this sounds?" asked Louisa.

"Yes, but I'm telling the truth. If I were lying I would make up a much more reasonable explanation," said Beatrice finally sitting down.

"Fair point there," said Louisa with a tilt of her head.

"And you haven't told us because this is so extraordinary," said Collin.

"Yes, and that NDA. Hence why you two can't say a word." Beatrice looked at her siblings pleadingly.

"Please believe me. I love you both and I don't want us to be driven apart." She watched her siblings exchange a glance.

"I can't deny this is hard to comprehend but I know you wouldn't lie to us," said Collin finally.

"Dealing with alien invasions sounds rather dangerous. Please tell me you have a desk job?" said Louisa looking slightly worried. Beatrice shook her head some of the tension inside her dispersing now that they believed her.

"Not exactly. I assist UNIT's Scientific Officer. Who also happens to be an alien." 

"I assume he's one of the human-looking ones?" cut in Collin. Beatrice laughed.

"Yes, he looks human. My job tends to vary between making tea for him and running around on the front lines trying to stop the world from getting blown up or overrun."

"But you could get hurt. Why take the risk?" asked Louisa. Beatrice sighed.

"Yes it's dangerous but that thrill is part of why I love it. Beyond that, I get to learn about different worlds and species I never knew existed. It's truly fascinating."

"I admit that does sound like the sort of exciting thing you would be interested in. Trust my little sister to find the craziest job out there," said Louisa wryly as she took a sip of her tea.

"I suppose if you really are happy we shouldn't criticize," agreed Collin.

"Thank you," said Beatrice with a smile.

"Anytime. Besides, if you're dealing with evil aliens I suppose I can handle a few Bridezillas," laughed Louisa.

"I question which is more dangerous," said Beatrice with a grin.

"Whatever you want to do Beatrice, we both have your back," Collin told her reaching across the table and taking her hand. Louisa placed her's on top of Collin and Beatrice's.

"No matter what," she added and the three of them shared a grin. Beatrice felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It was a relief to know that despite her crazy life, her siblings would be there for her.

Author's note: Well, nice to see that finally resolved. I hope you guys find this was a good resolution to the family conflict. We have maybe five chapters to go so keep checking for updates. Please like and COMMENT. Hearing your thoughts is one of the best things about writing this. Until next time Whovians!


	37. A Final Trip

The Master busied himself setting the coordinates for his latest trip with Beatrice he felt a tingling sensation in his hands and looked down to see small wisps of gold coming from them. He closed his eyes and focused on forcing the regeneration to hold.

"It isn't time yet," he murmured. Regeneration was coming. The Master knew it. After all, this body was rather old. But he needed to hold it off for a little longer. He wanted to be able to spend a little more time with Beatrice. Particularly since his impeding regeneration would mean that his final parting with her was rather imminent. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the very subject of them entering the console room. She looked radiate in a white fur coat and matching white fur hat. This caused her red hair to stand out particularly vibrantly.

"You look beautiful my dear," he said taking her hand and pulling her closer so he could place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Thank you, I did my best," she said blushing slightly. "So, are you going to tell me exactly where we're going in Imperial Russia? You gave me a dress code but that was it."

"You'll see my dear," said the Master grabbing his own black fur coat and hat and offering Beatrice his arm. They stepped outside to see Moscow completely covered in snow. Even the Master had to admire the architecture of Imperial Russia. It was quite intricate and visually pleasing. He looked over at Beatrice and felt a fond smile come to his face at the look of awe on her face. 

It was early evening and the lamps were lit, casting an almost whimsical glow over the scene. 

"It's incredibly impressive here. A lot of work clearly went into all of this," said Beatrice as the walked. 

"Quite. The year is 1877. Alexander II is Czar and the Budapest convention occurred approximately two months ago."

"You know, with your knowledge of Earth history, I sometimes think you like Earth a little more than you let on," she told him with a smile. The Master sighed. 

"Your planet has three redeeming characteristics primitive as it is. Your surprisingly creative artistic and literary achievements, it's ridiculously high susceptibility to invasion..."

"Something you have yet to succeed in," Beatrice cut in and the Master huffed.

"We'll see about that."

"And what's the third thing?" Beatrice asked as they turned a corner. He glanced at her with a small smile.

"You." She laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder briefly.

"You always know exactly what to say don't you?" the Master chuckled.

"I'd like to think so." They stopped in front of a tall, white-pillared, building. "Welcome to the Bolshoi Theatre, my dear." Beatrice's eyes widened. For a moment she appeared to be speechless. When she finally got her voice back she said.

"How did you know I wanted to see the Bolshoi?" 

"You fell asleep in the library with a book on the history of the Bolshoi which you had marked with several sticky notes. I took it as a sign you were interested."

"Oh yes, that was the night you had to carry me back to our room. Sorry about that." she once again blushed.

"It's not a problem my dear. You looked far too peaceful to wake. Anyway, tonight is the premiere of the ballet Swan Lake and we happen to have two first-class tickets." A look of joy and excitement filled her face that caused the Master to smile.

It was amusing and rather sweet how the simplest things like a trip to the ballet could make her so happy. The mere fact that he could cause her such joy was rather extraordinary to him. Then again, ordinary was not a word he associated with Beatrice.

"Thank you," she said giving him a brief kiss on the lips.

"You're welcome my dear," he said. "Shall we go in?" Beatrice nodded excitedly as she took his arm. He savoured the feeling of her closeness as they entered the theatre.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They made their way to their seats which were in a box with an excellent view of the stage. As the lights dimmed the Master gently placed his hand over Beatrice's. She gave him a brief smile entwining her fingers with his and turned back to the stage.

The performance itself was quite beautiful. The Master had to admit that the music and choreography were nearly flawless. However, he spent a large portion of the performance watching Beatrice's, doing his best to memorize everything about her. 

He watched as her face shifted from awe at the dancing, to happiness and enthrallment as the story began to pan out. She had leaned forward slightly transfixed by the dancers below. Her eyes alight with fascination. 

He had always enjoyed how whenever something interested Beatrice her beautiful hazel eyes seemed to get brighter. He remembered when that gaze had first been directed at him. The defiance mixed with intrigue that he had seen when they met that day in the UNIT facility. 

When the lights came up for intermission Beatrice turned to him. 

"This is wonderful. Even though I already know the story seeing it play out in person is still enthralling."

"I'm glad you like it," replied the Master with a small smile. "Although I'm afraid the critics won't be so complimentary."

"Yet it goes on to be one of the best and most famous ballets in history," she said with a laugh. "I suppose it shows critics aren't always right."

"I suppose not," chuckled the Master. Beatrice tilted her head.

"Is everything alright? I can't put my finger on it but something seems off about you tonight."

Not for the first time the Master wished that Beatrice wasn't so good at picking up on people's emotions. He liked the fact that she wasn't someone that had to have everything spelt out for them but it made hiding things from her rather difficult.

"Nothing you need to worry about for the moment my dear," he told her. She looked slightly sceptical but let the matter drop as the lights went back down.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Beatrice was absolutely loving the trip to the ballet. The technique of the dancers was amazing and being able to witness one of the greatest ballet's in history premiere was an experience she never would have dreamed would occur.

The only thing she had noticed was that something seemed off about the Master. There was an air of finality about him. It was worrying but she pushed it aside, deciding no to let a mere instinct interfere with her enjoyment of their night together.

When the lights went back down after intermission she took his hand and gave it a brief squeeze which he returned.

The final two acts of ballet were just as riveting as the first two the costumes elegant and the dancing brilliant. As the finale came to a close she was pleasantly surprised when the Prince destroyed Rothbart and received a happily ever after with the now de-cursed Odette. 

Once the cast took their bows they both stood and Beatrice smoothed out her long dark green dress. 

"Thank you for that," she said as they put on their fur coats and began making their way out.

"It was my pleasure, my dear."

"I genuinely wasn't expecting a happy ending there. In my experience, Russian stories tend to be a bit depressing."

"It's true character's in Russian stories often meet more...regrettable fates," the Master agreed.

"Well, at least tonight's ending was a happy one," Beatrice said as they stepped outside. She looked up at the sky to see that it had begun to snow again. She smiled her mind going back to that first Christmas with the Master. The Master must have seen her expression change because he asked,

"What's on your mind?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about that first Christmas you and I spent together. That was the first trip we took together that didn't end in complete chaos," she replied with a laugh.

"That was an enjoyable evening. I'm certainly glad I decided to drop in on that particular party," said the Master.

"More like crashed. I still don't know what was going through my head when I kissed you that night. Although what followed was along the lines of "what the hell did I just do?"

"I admit that had me quite shocked although not exactly displeased," replied the Master with a smile. 

"That was probably the point when I had to acknowledge that my feelings for you had gone into romantic territory," Beatrice said thinking back over how her feelings for him had progressed.

"I'm afraid I wasn't quite as willing to admit my own feelings until it was almost too late," the Master told her. Beatrice shrugged.

"I was more shocked by the fact that you reciprocated my feelings. I'm not surprised you were unwilling to acknowledge yours. Besides, in the end, it worked out quite well for us."

"Indeed it did," there was an almost wistful tone to his voice. They reached the TARDIS, disguised as a monument, and he unlocked the door allowing her to enter first. He pressed a few buttons on the console and Beatrice felt the ship vibrate as they took off.

"That was a wonderful trip," she said stepping forward and kissing him. When she pulled away her brow furrowed at the look on his face. It was a mix of serious and something that looked like sadness. As if he was reluctant about his next words.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself tonight but I'm afraid there is something we need to discuss." Beatrice felt her stomach drop and her heart clench. She immediately suspected what he was talking about and prayed she was wrong. Nonetheless, she took a deep breath before calmly replying.

"Alright, why don't you make some tea while I change into something more comfortable and we can meet in the living room." The Master nodded and placed a gently placed a kiss on her lips. She did her best to give him a small smile and made her way to their bedroom to get changed.

Authors Note: Looks like Beatrice suspects what's up. Two chapters to go so keep checking for updates. I might suggest grabbing a Kleenex for the next two chapters:) For the record on March 4th 1877 Swan Lake premiered to mediocre reviews and actually had a happy ending. Please like and COMMENT your thoughts are even more important as I near the end of the story. And if you are reading this after I've completed it I still like to know what you readers think of the work. Thanks for reading! Until next time Whovians!


	38. A Difficult Discussion

"Alright, why don't you make some tea while I change into something more comfortable, and we can meet in the living room," Beatrice told him. He could tell she knew where this was going. The Master merely nodded in response and gently pressed his lips to her's. 

After a moment they pulled apart and she gave him a small smile. However, it was forced and didn't hold the same warmth her smiles normally did. Slowly she turned away and left the console room. The Master set the TARDIS to float in the vortex and made his way to the kitchen.

As he began preparing the tea his mind wandered back over their relationship. Their first meeting when she had intrigued him with her fearlessness, wit, and though he wouldn't have acknowledged it then, beauty.

The moment when he caught her from falling off the lorry. The way she had blushed and the warmth he had felt at her proximity. That first Christmas on Snowland and the inexplicable happiness he felt as they danced together. Their first kiss when he realized he couldn't let anything happen to her.

Then there was the night she had confessed to loving him. He could still see in his mind's eye the way her eyes had shone with emotion as he realized he had truly fallen for her. And most recently her refusal to leave him when he tried to push her away. But now she would have to go for certain. There was no way she could stay, though he knew she would if she could.

The TARDIS would be much lonelier without her. The idea that he would never hear her laughter or see her bright smile ever again was difficult to comprehend. She had become an important point in his life. Someone he could trust implicitly. The Doctor might have a constant rotation of companions but Beatrice could never be replaced.

The Master finished making the tea and took the two cups to the living room. He set them down on the table in front of the couch and waited for Beatrice. A few minutes later she entered wearing a long, dark green, dressing gown with a number of buttons down the centre and intricate gold thread embroidered across the garment. Her hair was down and flowed across her shoulders in firey waves. She looked stunning.

She sat down next to him and angled her body so they were facing each other. 

"So, you had something to discuss?" she asked. Her voice was carefully controlled although he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Yes my dear," he paused. It was rare he had trouble expressing himself. Now was one of those few times. "I think you know what this is about." 

"It's time for us to part, isn't it?" she said without looking at him. The Master sighed.

"Yes, my dear. I'm afraid it is," he hoped she could tell he didn't want this any more than she did.

"What's brought this on?" she asked her voice still eerily calm. He could see she was trying to prevent herself from getting overly emotional. The Master gently slipped his hand into her's brushing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Regeneration my dear," he said showing her his hand which had a few wisps of golden energy coming from in before he repressed the energy again. "This body is old and I will soon have to change. I have no idea what I will be like when I change and this is my final regeneration."

"You'll be alright, won't you? I mean just because this is your last one doesn't mean that something will go wrong?" Beatrice asked, her voice filled with concern. The Master smiled slightly. Trust his Beatrice to be more concerned about him.

"Final regenerations are a tricky business and..." he stopped not wanting to mention his limited amount of remaining regeneration energy.

"And?" she prompted. "I know you're holding something back." 

"I don't have quite as much regeneration energy as normal I used some of it up earlier for a rather more important cause."

"What could be more important than your own survival!" she exclaimed. The Master didn't answer. He could see her putting the pieces together in her mind and silently cursed her perceptiveness. He could never hide anything from her. Beatrice's eyes widened.

"Wait! When the War Chief destroyed my mind, you healed it. Did you use your regeneration energy to save me?" her face was one of shock, worry, indignation, and gratitude. He moved closer and placed his hand on her cheek.

"I did. Your mind would not have recovered otherwise. But I don't regret it. I knew what I was doing. So don't blame yourself like I know you are starting to do."

"But if you hadn't used it you would be certain your regeneration would go fine and..." the Master cut her off.

"And I would have lost you. That isn't a price I'm willing to pay for anything. Look at me." she shifted her gaze to meet his. "I could never have let you be permanently damaged like that. Every day we have spent together has only convinced me that I made the right decision." She threw her arms around him.

"I never knew that did that. Thank you," she whispered.

"I never wanted you to feel an obligation to me for doing it and I knew you would blame yourself." Beatrice pulled back and gave him a wry smile.

"You know me too well."

"Indeed I do," they shared a smile for a moment before the seriousness of their situation descended back upon them.

"So your regeneration might not go as planned?" she said softly.

"Might being the keyword. As I said it's only a possibility. Besides regeneration doesn't just change timelords physically. It can change personality. I'll be a different person and I don't want memories of our time together to be tarnished by any potential unpleasantness stemming from the change." his chest tightened as he watched a look of sadness and resignation cross Beatrice's face. 

"I understand," she replied quietly before looking away. "It's funny, I thought knowing that this would come would make the parting easier. But it doesn't seem to have helped very much." 

"No, I can't say it has," the Master replied, still holding her hand. Beatrice turned her head to look back at him. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and love. 

"All same. I don't regret this. Not a minute of it."

"Nor do I," the Master told her softly as he raised his hand, pulling her closer so that their lips met. He did his best to savour the feeling of the moment. Her lips on his, the softness of her hair against his skin as his fingers became entangled in it, and the happiness the action brought him.

When they finally pulled apart they were both slightly breathless.

"How long until I need to leave?" she murmured.

"I can hold it off till the morning," he replied.

"Then I suppose we should make the most of that time."

"Indeed," he told her as they both stood and headed towards their bedroom hand in hand.

Author's Note: It's never been clear how the Master ended up as a corpse or if he regenerated from Delgado so I'm just having him regenerate of old age which is possible. We've got one chapter to go now! Please like and COMMENT I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading! Until next time Whovians!


	39. An Inevitable End

Beatrice lay in the Master's arms. She remembered being in a similar position the morning after she had confessed her love for him. However, the mood on that morning had been very different. Almost blissful. Now there was an air of sadness and finality.  
She would miss waking up and seeing him almost every morning. Quite frankly she would miss everything about him. His sweet protectiveness of her, the way that he would insult humans before realizing she was there causing him to add "she was the exception", she'd even miss his ridiculous scheming.   
But most of all she would regret the loss of sharing these tender moments with him. When he had fully dropped his heartless evil genius mask and gave her a chance to see a different side of him.  
"What are you thinking?" he asked her. Beatrice shifted so that she could prop herself up on her elbow her free hand entwined with the Master's as she looked into his dark brown eyes.  
"I'm thinking about how much I'm going to miss you. After everything that's happened between us, the idea of never seeing you again is a rather difficult one to contemplate," she told him quietly. The Master glanced down at their joined hands before meeting her gaze again.  
"I once said I would never make you a promise I didn't intend to keep. With the uncertainty of the immediate future, I can't promise you that we will see each other again. I couldn't be sure of being able to keep that promise."  
"I know, and I'd rather have a harsher truth than a comforting lie," Beatrice replied squeezing his hand slightly.  
"You didn't let me finish. All I can say is that never is a rather definitive word and in my experience, the future is anything but definitive." Despite the situation, Beatrice couldn't help but smile slightly for a moment. But the levity was soon gone as Beatrice noticed a tinge of gold coming from the Master's hand.  
"I should go soon. We don't have much more time," she said softly. The Master nodded as they shared a look of understanding.  
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
Beatrice didn't have very much to pack. Most of the clothes she wore while travelling with the Master were from the TARDIS closet. The Master helped her with packing what she was taking with her. It was a menial task but she knew that both of them were taking any excuse they had to stay in each other's company.  
Once she had almost everything packed the Master turned to her.  
"I'll go set the coordinates for your apartment." Beatrice nodded and they shared a brief kiss before he left. Beatrice grabbed her journal of sketches. She had to leave him something.  
Quickly she went to the Master's desk and wrote a short letter. Sliding the paper into the front pages of the journal she placed it on the Master's pillow. Beatrice then took her carpet back and glanced around the room one more time before leaving.  
As she walked through the halls for a final time she passed the living room and couldn't help but smile, remembering all times the two of them had spent there. The way he would hold her close as he read to her. They had past many an evening there, relaxing after whatever trouble they had gotten into.  
She continued walking until she reached the console room where the Master stood fiddling with the controls. He looked up as she came in and set her bag down. They stared at each other for a moment before she quickly moved forward throwing her arms around him. Suddenly the realness of the situation had hit her in full force. The Master wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand through her hair. Beatrice pulled back slightly, looking up at him.  
"Please promise me something," she said in a soft tone.  
"Whatever you wish my dear. There is little I could refuse you," he replied gently. Beatrice's heart warmed at the familiar term of endearment.  
"Please don't forget me. I know that in over six centuries two years with one person probably don't count for much. I know I'm just a small insignificant aspect of your life in the grand scheme of things. But I love you and if you forgot me..." The Master cut her off.  
"Beatrice, you are anything but insignificant. You have been more important to me in the short time we had together than many whom I have known for centuries. I could never forget you. I just hope that you will do the same."  
The Master's voice held a gentleness she had only ever heard directed at her. Tenderly he brushed away a tear that Beatrice hadn't noticed roll down her cheek. Her chest constricted for a moment. She finally understood what people meant when they used the word heartbreak.   
"Never," she said. A small smile briefly passed over the Master's face and he leaned down to kiss her. They had shared many kisses but this was the most emotional. It was as if both of them were attempting to express the tide of emotions going through them. Beatrice did her best to memorize the feeling of his lips pressed against hers his arms holding her in a close embrace. One of her hands caressed his cheek while the other rested on his shoulder.  
Too soon they had to break the kiss. The TARDIS gave a jolt as it landed. Beatrice glanced at the doors which had opened. Their foreheads were leaned against each other  
"Goodbye Master," she whispered as she forced herself to pull away. The Master took her right hand and gently brought the back of it up to his lips.  
"Goodbye, my love," Beatrice's eyes widened for a moment. He had never used that word before and somehow it gave her the strength to pull away completely she picked up her bag and gave his hand a final squeeze before finally letting go. As she walked out she longed for nothing more than to run back to his arms. Once outside the TARDIS, she turned back around to look at the Master through who she could see through the doorway.  
Beatrice watched as the TARDIS door closed behind her. Her eyes met the Master's and held his gaze until the door separated them. Nothing happened for a moment. Beatrice guessed he was watching her. She gave a small smile not wanting his last image of her to be of tears.  
Finally, after what seemed like an age, the TARDIS dematerialized taking a piece of her heart with it. As she watched it go Beatrice knew that she would never forget him and never stop loving him for as long as she lived. Her love. Her Master.  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
The Master maintained eye contact with Beatrice until the door closed. He watched her on the scanner for a moment. Taking one last look.  
Less than three years ago would have thought the idea that he could care for anyone so deeply to be ludicrous. But as he watched her he knew that despite the ache he felt in his chest, he would do it all over again if given the chance.  
The Master forced himself to look away and dematerialize the TARDIS. He had every intention of keeping his promise to her. For what seemed like a few short moments he had been truly happy. And he would never forget the cause of that joy.   
As he allowed the regeneration energy to finally overtake him his final thoughts were of a beautiful red-haired woman. His love. His Beatrice.   
The End


	40. Author's Note (Please Read)

And so the tale of Beatrice and the Master comes to an end. I've had great fun writing this book and am almost sorry to see it finished. I want to dedicate this whole series to Roger Delgado, without whom this book wouldn't even exist. He truly was the Master of them all. 

I want to thank all my friends who have supported me in the creation of this book particularly my friend FateMagician who helped me out of several cases of writer's block. I also want to say thank you to everyone who has commented over the course of the creation of this book. It has really helped to motivate me to finish this. If you haven't commented yet please leave me a note in the comments below or on various chapters concerning your thoughts on the book. What you liked specifically and such. I really appreciate knowing what people think about my writing so please take a minute to leave a note. It means a lot.

I also want to put up the suggestion of a possible sequel short story where Beatrice and the Master meet up again years later. It would be with the Jacobi Master. Please let me know if that is something you would be interested in reading. If I get enough requests I'll write it. Thanks so much for reading my fellow Whovians!  
-MissyQueenofEvil


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